


Flaw In My Code

by TearStainedAshes



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Awkward Flirting, Bisexual Gavin Reed, Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Elijah Kamski & Gavin Reed are Twins, Elijah Kamski Being an Asshole, Elijah Kamski Redemption, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Father-Daughter Relationship, Flashbacks, Gavin has a cat, Gavin has a daughter, Hospitals, M/M, Minor Character Death, Parenthood, Post-Peaceful Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Connor, Protective Hank Anderson, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-06
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2019-11-12 22:30:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 50,921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18019655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TearStainedAshes/pseuds/TearStainedAshes
Summary: Balancing work and parenthood is hard enough, but once the DPD is assigned a prototype android detective to hunt Deviants things get a bitharderfor one hard-ass detective Gavin Reed.Updates ??????? 😅





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [berryblonde](https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryblonde/gifts), [KeakaSenka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeakaSenka/gifts).



**November 4, 2038 - 7 PM**  
He had protested when Fowler told him the department was being given a prototype detective android. Only his brother would have created something like that to annoy him. They hadn’t been on the best of terms since the first Chloe model was created and sent out into the world, but he hadn’t thought they’d gotten to that level of pettiness. Even Anderson was visibly peeved at the thought of an android detective coming in to work with them.

“Oh, but I haven’t told you the best part Lieutenant Anderson,” Captain Fowler said, scowling and smirking at the same time. “It’s going to be your partner.”

“ _WHAT?!_ ” Hank shouted, slamming his hands down on the captain’s desk. “Are you fucking kidding me? You know what those assholes have done to me! To my... my…” He swallowed before continuing, the three men knowing what he wanted to say but couldn’t finish. Gavin took a deep breath and hung his head, not wanting Hank to see his empathy. “I can’t work with them. I refuse.”

“I’m afraid you don’t have a choice,” Fowler said calmly. “CyberLife is working with us to solve these deviancy cases, and they created this particular android to hunt them down and stop the spread. If it can do that, then it will be returned promptly and will be out of your hair in no time.”

Hank huffed and stormed out of the glass office, slamming the door behind him as hard as he could. Gavin sighed again and looked up at the captain, shaking his head.

“My brother--”

“It isn't a Chloe model, if that’s what you’re thinking,” Fowler said, interrupting him. “It’s a new model, and it's here to work, just like the rest of us. It’s here to do a job, and it’s here to get it done as fast as humanly possible.”

“Well, maybe not _humanly_ possible,” Gavin joked. “It’s a piece of plastic, programmed to do whatever it’s told. It’ll do it as fast as its program will allow.”

“Whatever, Reed,” Fowler scoffed. “Just work with it when Anderson can’t, OK? And don’t be such a prick.”

“I’m not making any promises,” Gavin said, rolling his eyes. He pushed off the wall and uncrossed his arms, walking toward the door. “I’m heading out. I gotta get home.”

“Fine. Fine. Go on. Get back to Hazel.”

He waved as he left the office, the door frosting over behind him to allow the captain some semblance of privacy. He grabbed his jacket off his chair and shrugged it on, walking out of the building and into the parking lot. His old Charger stood out among the other police cars, its dark green paint a stark contrast to the black and whites around it. The doors automatically unlocked when it sensed his key and he hopped right in, starting it up and tuning to a hard rock station. He sat back and sighed, closing his eyes.

A fucking android detective. The android traffic cops were bad enough, but now he had to deal with a detective? What the hell was his brother thinking? Was he creating these new, smarter androids to torment him? Or was he actually sending the bot to try and do some good in the world? And how did he not have a clue as to how deviancy was spreading? Or how it even began? Was it a glitch in their programs? Or did he put something deep in their code to give them free will?

He groaned and ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath. Eli would never tell him. And he would never ask. After the RT600 model was mass produced, they’d gotten extremely distant. But after their mom died, they practically stopped talking altogether. If it wasn’t for Hazel he probably would have severed all ties with his brother, but he couldn’t do that to her.  He pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket and lit one, rolling his window down a bit to let it air out. Technically the DPD parking lot as a non-smoking zone, but enough cops did it in their own cars that the rule was altered just enough to allow people to smoke in their own personal vehicles. He could hear Hazel in his head, chastising him for smoking.

“Tomorrow,” he mumbled aloud, taking another drag. “I’ll quit tomorrow.” He knew it was a lie, but he couldn’t find a fuck to give about it. He started the car and drove off, heading for home.

**...::-::...**

**November 4, 2038 - 7:32 PM**  
He walked in the door and hung up his jacket, the apartment smelling of chicken and rice. The cat bounded over to him and pawed at his ankles.

“Hey, Lucy,” he murmured, reaching down to pet the pretty little calico. She made a little “purrp” sound as he dragged his hand down her back, making him smile. She rubbed along his leg, scenting him after his long day at the office.

“Hi, Dad!” Hazel called from the kitchen.

“Hi, Princess,” he answered as he worked on taking off his boots. Lucy played with the laces as they danced along the floor. “How was school?”

“It was fine,” she answered, appearing in the doorway. She had already changed into her pajamas, her dark hair pulled back in a braid. “I have a permission slip for you to sign for a school field trip next month. Not that you really have to sign it since I’m like, of age and shit, but I think legally you have to otherwise the school’s butt would be in a sling.”

Gavin laughed and set his boots down by the door, tucking the laces in so Lucy couldn’t get to them anymore. He picked up the toy mouse hidden behind the door and gently tossed it into the living room, the cat chasing after it. He yawned and walked into the kitchen, grabbing a plate of the chicken and rice Hazel had made.

“Yeah, sure, I’ll sign,” he said, sitting down at the table. Hazel joined him, moving some of her school books and papers out of the way. “What’s it for?”

“The DIA,” she said, stacking some of her books on top of one another. “We’re going to see the new Internet exhibit. It has something to do with old memes? You’d probably like it, old man.”

“Oh, shut up,” he said, laughing. He tossed a green bean at her, which she dodged. “I’m not that old. I’m only twice your age.”

“That either makes you super old or super depressing, Dad,” she said, picking up the green bean and eating it. “Maybe both.”

“Probably both,” he admitted with a nod. “Off topic, but how’s the college search going? Narrowed down at all?”

“Sort of,” she said, pulling out a folder from under her math book. “I mean, Michigan is at the top so I can stay close by, but State is pretty good too. And Western--”

“Nuh-uh. No way,” Gavin said, interrupting her. “No daughter of mine is going to State. I simply won’t allow it.”

“Oh my god, Daaaaad,” she said, groaning. “Shut up about the rivalry. Would you rather I go to your alma mater to get an education or go to a school that has a better education program for my field of study?”

“And what field is that?” he asked, sitting back and crossing his arms, raising an eyebrow at her.

“Uh... I... haven’t decided yet,” she mumbled, leafing through the papers.

“Then don’t say State is your best option when you don’t even know what you’re going to study yet,” he argued. “I’ve failed as a parent if you think State is the best college out there.”

“Shut up,” she grumbled, tossing a piece of chicken at his plate. It landed right in the middle, scattering some rice onto the table. “I have time to figure this out.”

“I know, Princess. I know.” He leaned forward and took her hand, squeezing gently. “Whatever you decide to do, I know you’ll be great at it. You’ve got so much heart and passion and ambition. You’ll kill any job you get.”

“Thanks, Dad,” she whispered, smiling up at him. She squeezed his hand back before letting go, putting the folder away to continue eating. “So, anything interesting happen at work today? That you can tell me about?”

“Yes, actually.” He cleared his throat and looked down at his plate. “We’re getting a new android. A detective.”

“A detective?” She gave him a quizzical look. “Not a beat cop ‘droid? What for?”

“For solving android cases. I can’t say much more than that, but it’s going to be working with Hank.”

“Oh. Oh no.” She blinked and sat back, shaking her head. “Poor Hank. After what happened to his son...” She sighed and shook her head again. “How could Fowler do that to him? He knows what he’s gone through.”

“I know, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Hank’s head of the ‘droid homicide unit now. So he kinda has to work with it. And when he can’t... I will.”

“Oh, God, Dad,” Hazel groaned. “Did Uncle Eli--”

“Fowler said it's not a…” He paused, unable to finish his sentence. “It's not her,” he said instead. “A new model. So there's that at least.” She sighed and nodded, pushing her beans along her plate with her fork.

“Let’s finish dinner and then you need to finish your homework, OK?” he said after a tense moment of silence.

“OK. And Dad?”

“Yeah?”

“You need to stop smoking.”

“Tomorrow,” he said, looking down at his food, both of them knowing it was a promise he wasn’t sure he actually intended to keep. “I’ll quit tomorrow.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank unacceptable_bisexual and everyone in the Convin discord chat for the encouragement and advice, as well as my friend Keaka for helping me brainstorm and edit. I haven't written in so long, and it feels so good to be back in the trash bin.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks again to Keaka and Evie for the encouragement and listening to me complain and scream about my muses. Writing is hard, but having like-minded people to talk to makes it a bit easier ^_^

**November 5, 2038 - 8:21 AM**  
Gavin got to work a little later than usual. He’d helped Hazel off to school after the bus left three minutes early. She once again brought up having her own car, one of the tiny electric ones, which he adamantly refused to purchase.

“But Daaaaaaaaad,” she’d whined. “It’s good for the environment! And there are charging ports everywhere! It’s not like I’d get stranded anywhere.”

“You gotta sell me on it better than that,” he’d grumbled as he pulled up in front of the school. “Come up with some better arguments. Good for the environment isn’t enough. Give me stats on its safety rating. Its fuel efficiency. Shit like that.”

“It’s an _electric_ car, Dad. It doesn’t use fuel.”

“You know what I meant. Don’t be a smartass.”

“I learned from the best.” She grinned at him and he laughed.

“Fair point.” He pulled up alongside the school’s student entrance and parked, unlocking the doors. “Just do some more research into it and show it to me. I won’t make any guarantees, but I promise to hear you out, alright? You just have to really sell me on it.”

“Will do, Dad.” She leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Do me a favor and shave, OK? Your scruff is all scratchy.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” he joked, kissing her own cheek. “Study hard, Princess. I love you!”

“Love you too, Dad!” she called as she rushed into the building.

He scratched his beard as he walked into the lobby and scanned his badge at the gate, smiling at the memory. He put his mask of indifference on as he headed to his desk. He plopped down and sighed, running a hand down his face.

 _Fuck_ , he internally groaned. _Today’s when the new ‘droid shows up._

“Don’t worry too much,” his deskmate Tina said as she walked over, handing him his morning cup of coffee. “It’s not here yet, so you don’t have to be looking over your shoulder every second.”

“Am I that obvious, Officer Chen?” he asked, accepting the coffee.

“To me,” she answered. “But I sit in front of you every day, so I like to think I know how to read you, _Detective_ Reed.” She smiled and went back to her terminal, looking through case files.

Gavin coughed out a laugh, nodding. He _did_ spend a lot of time with Tina at work. She was one of the first friends he allowed himself to have after transferring to homicide. Anderson didn’t really count since they barely spoke, but they had a sort of gruff understanding of one another. They didn’t talk, they didn’t share personal shit, and they didn’t pry into each other’s lives. He supposed that sort of made them friendly acquaintances, but he wouldn’t consider them anything more than that.

He took a long sip of his coffee before getting to work at his terminal. He saw Hank come in and sit at his perpetually messy desk, the two of them grunting at each other in lieu of an actual greeting. Tina waved at Hank but he didn’t give her any sort of greeting back. She didn’t take it personally. Hank wasn’t overly friendly with anyone, not even Fowler who literally had to power to fire his ass.

After staring at his terminal for what felt like hours, working on finishing case paperwork, he was pulled out of his reverie when his phone went off on his desk. The vibration shook his mouse, making the cursor dance across the screen. He picked it up and read the text from his daughter:

_**DAD. You forgot to sign my permission slip, you jerk. I’ve asked my teacher for an extension, so you HAVE to get it signed by Monday, OK?** _

He sighed and shook his head, typing quickly before Fowler could catch him.

**DAUGHTER. Sorry. My old man brain forgot. Hopefully my arthritic hands will be able to hold a pen to sign your paper for your art trip.**

“Hey,” Tina whispered, getting his attention. He looked up and sat his phone face-down on the desk. “What’s up?” She nodded at his phone.

“Just Hazel,” he whispered back.

“She alright?”

“Perfectly fine. I just forgot to sign a permission slip for her last night.”

“Oh? What for?”

“DIA trip. Sometime before the end of the semester,” he said, looking at his phone when it vibrated again.

_**FATHER. Thank you. I can forge your signature if your old man hands can’t handle a simple pen. I will be sure to send you photos of your old memes for nostalgia.** _

Gavin snorted and shook his head, a smile tugging at his lips. He quickly typed a reply before putting his phone on silent and getting back to work.

**OFFSPRING. Since when do you know how to forge my signature? And do please send me my favorite old memes. My old heart will love seeing them again. Now get off your phone and learn something. I have to get back to work.**

**I love you.**

He filled out paperwork for over a dozen android deviancy cases that Hank and his new plastic partner would be working on, sending them over to his terminal. When he was finally done he stood up and stretched, his back popping slightly as he straightened himself out. He went to the break room for another coffee, checking his phone while he waited for a fresh pod to brew. He smiled at the simple message on the screen:

_**Love you too, Dad.** _

**...::-::...**

**November 5, 2038 - 9:48 PM**  
“Reed! My office!” Fowler called, snapping Gavin out of his trance of paperwork. He sucked in a breath as if he hadn’t been breathing the entire time he’d been working. Tina had already left, sliding the plant that she had on her desk over to his side to signify she’d clocked out for the day. He smiled and slid it back before standing up, his back popping again after having been bent over his terminal for so long. He stepped into Fowler’s office and immediately stopped when he saw the person... no... the _android_ standing next to Fowler’s desk. It looked oddly familiar, but he couldn’t place its face. It was a new model, so why the hell would he think he recognized it?

It was tall, with deep brown eyes and hair, dressed semi-casually in jeans and a Cyberlife suit jacket. It had been playing with a coin when he walked in, but was now holding it between two fingers. Its hair swept in front of its eyes as it pocketed the coin, which it pushed back as it straightened up and fixed its tie.

 _Oh no, it’s hot_ , Gavin thought, panicking slightly at the sight of it.

“Reed, close the door,” Fowler said, scowling. Gavin nodded and stepped all the way inside, the door shutting and frosting over behind him.

“So... is this it?” he managed to ask, gesturing to the android. “The new detective prototype?”

“Yes. This is it,” Fowler confirmed before the android opened its mouth.

“Hello,” it said, it’s voice soft yet full of authority. “My name is Connor. I’m the android sent by CyberLife.”

_Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck._

“Yeah, hi, or whatever,” Gavin forced himself to say, staring at it, his mind setting off alarm bells. His brother really did have it in for him this time.

“Connor, this is Detective Gavin Reed,” Fowler said. “Since apparently he can’t introduce himself.”

“A pleasure, Detective Reed,” it said, nodding at him in greeting.

“Gavin,” he said without thinking, his subconscious wanting to know what his name sounded like on the android’s tongue.

“Gavin,” it amended, offering him a wonky half-smile.

 _Fuck me_ , Gavin thought, swallowing hard.

“We can’t find Anderson,” Fowler said, ignoring the awkward silence stretching between Gavin and the new android. “I gave him a case that seemed to involve an android and he left before our new helper could arrive. He’s not at the crime scene, and Chris hasn’t seen him since he left for the scene himself. You seem to know his habits pretty well and I want you to tell Connor where Hank’s usual haunts are.”

It was then that something clicked in his head. He knew where he knew the android from, and it made his heart race and his blood boil. He knew there was something too perfect about it, something… dreamy. He hated it already, and he hated the person who made it.

“Reed?” Fowler’s voice broke him from his racing thoughts. He blinked and looked away from the android, unclenching his fists as he focused on the situation at hand. “Can you help us out or not?”

“Yeah. Sure. Um... sure,” he said dumbly, already reaching for his phone.

“Thank you, Gavin,” the android said, smiling politely at him. He gave the android a list of bars to search, hoping Hank was found so the machine wouldn’t have to come back. He had some personal issues to take care of before he went home.

“Excellent,” Connor said after storing the last address in its memory. “I’ll go find Detective Anderson now. Thank you again, Gavin. Captain Fowler.” It nodded at each in turn before walking past Gavin and out the door. When Connor left, Gavin stood in the middle of Fowler’s office, staring at the door, which hadn’t frosted over behind it.

“So, what do you think of our newest addition?” Fowler asked, sitting back in his chair. Gavin turned to look at him, scowling.

“I think my brother is in a shitload of trouble.”

**...::-::...**

When he got to his car he immediately pulled out a cigarette and lit it, slamming the door shut behind him. He pulled his phone out and angrily punched in Eli’s private cell number, taking a harsh drag as he listened to it ring.

“Elijah Kamski,” a female voice said when the line picked up. The first RT600 model, which Eli had kept for himself, the fucker.

“It’s Gavin,” he said sternly. “Put my brother on the phone now.”

“Right away,” the android said politely, making him even angrier at its manners.

“Gavin,” Eli said when he finally reached his phone. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”

“You know exactly what, you motherfucker,” Gavin spat, his entire body tensing at the sound of his brother’s voice. “What the fuck kind of android did you send the DPD?”

“Well, technically I didn’t send it seeing as I am no longer CEO of CyberLife--”

“As if that fucking matters,” Gavin spat. “You designed the thing. I know you did. Just because you aren’t CEO doesn’t mean you don’t still have some pull. So, tell me, what the fuck are you playing at?”

“I’m not playing at anything.” He could hear the smirk in his brother’s voice, which made him scowl. “It’s a new model. A prototype. An android detective,” he said almost proudly. “Equipped with the latest technologies, the ability to sample evidence in real time, and--”

“That wasn’t what I meant and you fucking know it,” Gavin growled, tossing his cigarette out his window and lighting another one.

“Ah. You meant its appearance and not its function,” he said, sounding smug. “I merely thought it would be beneficial for an interrogator and investigator to have a trustworthy face. If people don’t think they can trust it, then they won’t talk. And a detective needs people to talk.”

“Shut up, you bastard,” Gavin spat. “I told you once, _once_ , about my personal preferences and you go and put them all into one android. You’re a son of a bitch.”

“Don’t talk about our mother that way, Gav,” Eli said, forcing his tone to sound mournful. “She accepted you as you are, and so do I. Bisexuality isn’t anything to be ashamed of. You’ve always been full of, as you say, ‘bi pride.’ Has that pride dwindled since we last spoke?”

“I came out to you in confidence!” he shouted, clenching his phone tighter against his face. “I told you my ideal preferences in _confidence_ . How _dare_ you make an android to those _exact_ specifications and send it to my workplace. Are you _trying_ to torment me?”

“I have always loved you, little brother.” Gavin scoffed, sitting further down in his seat.

“By ten fucking minutes,” he growled, his frustration falling on deaf ears.

“I have never shamed you for loving who you love and I have always been supportive of you. How could you accuse me of using that for my own amusement?”

“Because you designed it and basically sat the damn thing in my lap,” Gavin growled. “After what you did with the RT600 and Chloe… and now you're doing it again? You are one sick bastard, Elijah Reed.” He flicked his second cigarette out the window and immediately lit a third. He scowled when he heard Eli’s disappointed sigh. “Shut up.”

“You really should quit smoking, you know,” he said anyway. “For Hazel’s sake.”

“Don’t you _dare_ bring her into this,” Gavin shouted, slamming his fist down against his steering wheel. “She has nothing to do with this! We are discussing the android and your teasing me with it.”

“The Connor model was designed to solve android crimes, nothing more,” Eli said, his voice much calmer than Gavin’s. “But if you feel it will inhibit your work I can easily request that CyberLife remove it from the DPD.”

“No,” he grumbled, allowing himself to lose the battle for now. “No. Don’t. We need to solve these deviancy cases and we need all the help we can get. Anderson is the one that has to work with it, I won’t even have to interact with it very much. So... it can stay.”

“Excellent,” Eli purred, making Gavin roll his eyes. “Thank you very much, Gavin. I hope it proves to be useful to the wonderful officers of the DPD. Goodbye, Gav. It was wonderful to hear from you after so long.”

“Bastard,” Gavin growled just before the line disconnected. He slammed his phone down on the passenger seat and finished off his third cigarette. He watched the last few embers burn down the paper until they reached the filter, extinguishing themselves. He flicked the butt out of his window and rolled it up, covering his face with his hands.

He had to work with an android whose design was based on his own personal ideal features for a man. Something he had told his brother in confidence and he had now used to literally create his dream man for him. He wasn’t sure how mad he should truly be at his brother for creating it, but he absolutely refused to thank him for making his dream man into a machine. He slammed his arms against the steering wheel and took a deep breath.

“It’s fine,” he grumbled to himself, staring at the wall ahead of him that bore his name for his assigned parking spot. “It’s fine, I’ll be fine, it’s fine. I don’t have to work with it. Hank does. And Hank hates androids more than I do. If he can’t get along with it then I definitely won’t. But if he actually does... I’m fucked.” He shook his head, scrubbing his hands through his hair. “No. No. that won’t happen. After what the ‘perfect’ androids did to his son... he wouldn’t allow himself to like one. There’s no way. There’s too much trauma. Too much recent trauma. It’s fine. I’ll be fine. So long as Hank doesn’t get along with it then I’ll be fine.”

He nodded his head with determination, forcing himself to calm down. His phone’s text alert went off on the seat, drawing him out of his spiraling thoughts. Hazel’s text alert. He picked it up and sighed, happy to see she’d made it home from school alright.

_**[3:23 p.m.] Lucy unraveled one of your wool socks again 😈 Sorry, Dad** _

_**[6: 47 p.m.] Dad, where are you? It’s late and I’m a little concerned. You usually tell me if you’re working late. Is everything alright?** _

_**[8:52 p.m.] Dad? Seriously getting worried now. Call me or something to let me know you’re alive.** _

_**[10 p.m.] DAD?!** _

_**[10:03 p.m.] You didn’t pick up your cell or your desk phone. Where the hell are you?** _

Oh. The first few messages were from before he’d called Eli, when he’d had his phone on silent. The rest had only just come in due to his being on the phone and the service being so shitty in the underground parking lot. He started the car and it synced to his phone, allowing him to send a voice message back to her.

“Sorry, Princess. I had my phone on silent and didn’t get your first messages. I just got the rest of them now because I was on the phone. I’ll be home soon, OK? I love you.”

He pressed send and the little swoosh sound played. He drove out of the parking lot and out into the cool November air. It was raining now, and would probably continue to do so throughout the night. Good. He loved listening to the rain at night. It helped him sleep better.

His music was interrupted as a new text came through, the car reading it to him automatically.

_**Phew. For a second I thought you were dead in a ditch somewhere because you couldn’t remember how to get home. I’ll have dinner leftovers ready for you when you get back. Love you, old man!** _

He laughed and shook his head, his music resuming after a moment. Hazel always knew how to make him smile. Despite how shitty of a day he had, she could always brighten it just a bit. And usually that was enough. But after his conversation with Eli and meeting the android of his dreams, he wasn’t too sure how much help her sunshine would be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to Keaka for giving this chapter a quick beta read. Your enthusiasm and excitement for my story has me living. 
> 
> Evie, I hope you enjoy this softe(TM) exchange between Gavin and Hazel. All aboard the feels train!

**November 5, 2038 - 10:34 PM**  
Gavin walked inside just after 10:30 and was a little surprised to see the TV on in the living room. Hazel was still up? Why? She didn’t have to wait up for him. But, then again, he’d been over three hours late getting home due to paperwork and android drama. He tried to quietly close the door behind him but his ankles were immediately attacked by Lucy, his anger and frustration exploding out of him.

“Lucifer!” he shouted, shaking her away. “Get the fuck off!” She hissed and ran away, scampering under the sofa.

“Dad?” Hazel’s sleepy voice came from the sofa. Her head peered up after a moment, her hair falling in front of her eyes and making her look adorably disheveled. “That you?”

“Yeah, Princess,” he said softly, feeling guilty for waking her up. “I’m sorry I’m so late. I seriously lost track of time. And I’m sorry I woke you.”

“Mmmm. Wasn’t asleep,” she said around a yawn. She stretched and sat up fully, pushing her hair out of her face. “Bad day?” she asked, finally turning off the TV.

“What gave it away?” he asked, his voice a bit more gruff than he intended.

“You only call Lucy ‘Lucifer’ when you’re angry or stressed. So what happened?”

He let out a harsh laugh and hung up his jacket, but still held onto it to ground him. “Met the new android today,” he said to the wall. “Had to tell it where to find Hank because he left early. Probably to avoid it. So I was the first to meet it after Fowler.”

“Oh?” Hazel sounded concerned. He could hear her fingers tapping on the leather couch. “Um... how is it? What’s it like?”

He gripped his jacket harder and stared at the brass hook as he answered. “It’s... it’s...” He closed his eyes and hung his head. Hazel was by his side in a second, her hand on his arm.

“Dad? What’s wrong?” she asked softly, giving his arm a gentle squeeze.

“Eli... he built the fucking thing in the image of my dream guy,” he whispered, staring at their feet. He was still in his boots and she was wearing mismatched socks of unicorns and hedgehogs.

“He... he what?” Hazel stood back a step, absorbing the information.

“I told him a long time ago what I wanted my dream guy to look like... in my head.” He tapped his temple before dropping his hand. “I was barely out at the time, we were sixteen and he had just graduated. And I told him how I imagined my dream guy was in confidence. And he remembered. The bastard and his fucking photographic memory remembered. So when the DPD needed an android to solve android crimes... and me a DPD homicide detective... he saw his opportunity to torment me and he fucking took it.”

“This is like Mom all over again,” Hazel whispered, walking back over to the couch and plopping down on it. “I know I wasn't old enough to remember it… but I know how much it affected you and Mom's family.”

“I know,” he whispered. “I called him and confronted him about it, but the bastard wouldn't give me a straight answer.” He pounded his fist against the wall before stepping away. He plopped down on the sofa and closed his eyes, resting his head against the back. “What I _do_ know is that when I walked into Fowler’s office and saw the fucking thing standing there... it took my breath away. And I immediately hated it.”

Hazel pulled her legs under her so he could spread out a bit and prop his feet up on the coffee table. She didn’t say anything; just sat there and let him work through it.

“It was like one of those fucking romcoms you like so much,” he said, unable to stop talking about it now that he’d started. “Everything was happening in slow motion, my heart skipped a beat, I couldn’t breathe, I could barely focus on anything other than it. I... I actually froze, Hazel. I froze in my tracks and I swear to god it could hear my heart beating in my chest. Faster and faster until I could barely hear anything other than its relentless pounding in my ears.”

He took in a deep, shuddering breath and clutched a hand over his heart, feeling it speed up as he remembered the very brief interaction with the android.

“But when I realized what it was modeled after, all that went out the fucking window. I couldn’t see anything other than the person who had designed it, and I couldn’t feel anything other than how much I wanted to punch the bastard in his smug, fucking face.” He slammed his fist against the back of the couch, the soft thud not nearly satisfying enough. So he hit it again, and again, and again, until his arm grew tired.

Hazel sighed and drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them. She’d never seen her dad so worked up over someone before, but especially not an android. He’d always openly expressed his hatred for androids, especially after what her uncle did with the first one he’d ever made. But this was much different.

“Why did Eli have to make it in my perfect man’s image?” Gavin asked himself, covering his face with his hands. “Why is he making me relive my worst trauma?”

“Maybe he made it for you,” Hazel suggested, shrugging. “To say sorry. So you can be happy after we lost Mom.”

“But why would he do that? And if that _is_ what he's doing… why the hell did he wait this fucking long?” he asked the room. He wished he could let himself be happy that his brother had potentially made him his perfect man, but that was exactly why he couldn’t let himself be happy. His perfect man had to be made, because he clearly didn’t exist. And not only that, his perfect man was an android designed to take his goddamn job. He huffed and hung his head back again, staring up at the ceiling.

“Why did it have to be an android?” he asked aloud, watching the shadows of the curtains dance along the popcorn ceiling. “Why couldn’t he have been a real person?”

“What’s its name?” Hazel asked, her voice soft and calm.

“Connor,” he whispered, his heart clenching at the mere sound of its name. “Its name is Connor.”

Hazel sighed and unfurled herself, standing up to stretch. She so badly wanted to see her dad happy, but even she felt conflicted about an android coming into his life after everything he’d gone through with her uncle and her mom.

“I’m going to bed, Dad,” she said softly, reaching down to pick up Lucy. “It’s super late, and I had a pretty long day at school. Please don’t forget to sign my permission slip for Monday, OK? And your dinner’s in the microwave.”

“Oh, Princess, I’m sorry.” He sat up and rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t mean to ruin your night.”

“You didn’t ruin it, Dad,” she assured him. She walked over to him and kissed his cheeks, wrinkling her nose as she pulled away. He flushed in shame, hanging his head.

“Sorry,” he mumbled to the floor.

“Just promise me you’ll at least _try_ to stop?” she asked, holding tightly to a squirming Lucy.

“I can promise that,” he murmured, glancing up to offer a soft smile. “I’ll shower and sign your paper. Then I think I might head to bed myself. It was a long, boring day of paperwork, and then... you know.” He swallowed and looked away again, a light blush dusting along the back of his neck.

“OK. You can have your dinner for breakfast.” She gently kicked at his shoes and gave him a sarcastic scowl. “And take your boots off before you track more mud in the house.”

“Sorry, love.” He stood up and kissed the top of her head. “I’ll come in after I smell better and tuck you in, OK?”

“Sure, Dad.” She smiled and gently butted her shoulder against. “I love you, old man.”

“And I love you, baby girl.”

She skipped off to her room, still holding Lucy, and left the door open. He smiled and went to clean himself up, wanting to wash away his shame. The shower water was hot for once, and his skin was grateful for it. He let the hot water wash over his back, relaxing his tense muscles and warming his skin. He turned around and let it rain down his face, washing away the stink of cigarettes and his shame of being attracted to an android. He’d always been able to distance himself from attraction to other androids, but other androids weren’t based on his fantasy guy. His brother was a fucking dickhead and he couldn’t wait to punch him the next time they saw each other.

After scrubbing his skin raw and washing the smell of smoke out of his hair, he finally turned the cooling water off and stepped out, instantly shivering. He hated Michigan in the winter, but he couldn’t bear to live anywhere else. He had been born and raised in Detroit, and he couldn’t imagine leaving his home. He dried himself off and walked back into his room, grabbing an old Metallica tee and some Chevy logo boxers out of his dresser. Once he was dressed he went over to Hazel’s room to check on her.

She was already half asleep, Lucy curled up by her feet, her phone barely held in her hand. He gently slid it away and plugged it in to charge for the night. She stirred a bit and turned to look at him, smiling when her eyes were able to focus on him.

“Hey, Dad,” she whispered, her voice already thick with sleep.

“Hey, Princess,” he whispered back, pulling her sheets and blankets over her. “Go back to sleep. I was just coming in to say goodnight.”

“Mmmm. G’night,” she mumbled, already starting to fall back asleep. He smiled and kissed her forehead, smoothing her hair back out of her face.

“I love you, Hazel,” he whispered into her skin.

“Love you too, Dad,” she whispered back, smiling in content. Gavin smiled at her as she relaxed into her bed, sleep finally taking her. She looked so much like her mother it sometimes hurt, but he wouldn’t change what happened for anything. But where her mother had blonde hair, hers was dark and just a shade lighter than his own. And her eyes were a bluish-grey tinged with green. She was the perfect combination of them both, but she was beginning to look more and more like her mother every day. Sometimes it seemed that the only things she’d inherited from him were his complexion, his thick hair, and his asshole attitude. But he’d much rather she look like her mom than him.

He sighed and shut off the light, closing the door behind him, leaving it open enough for Lucy to get out if she needed. He tiptoed away, avoiding the creaky floorboards on his way back to his room. He was just about to crawl into bed himself when his phone went off.

“Oh, fucking hell,” he growled, picking it up. “This is Reed, and this had better be good.”

“Hello, Detective Reed,” a far too chipper and familiar voice said. _Oh, fucking hell indeed._ “This is Connor, the android sent by CyberLife, and I was told to alert you that we captured a Deviant and your presence is requested for the interview.”

“Oh, for the love of God,” Gavin groaned, running a hand down his face. He glanced at the clock and saw it was already after midnight. How the hell had that happened so fast? He shook his head and sighed. “OK. Fine. I’ll be there. Give me thirty minutes.”

“Of course, Detective. I’ll start a timer now.”

“I didn’t mean that literally you plastic prick,” he growled. “Just let Anderson know I’ll be there and not to start without me. He can fill me in when I get there.”

“Of course, Detective,” the android repeated. “I’ll stop the timer and let Lieutenant Anderson know you’re on your way.”

“Great. Thanks, asshole,” Gavin grumbled before ending the call. He sat back on his bed and scrubbed a hand through his damp hair. Sometimes he really hated his job. And constantly being on the clock was currently at the top of his list. He forced himself to stand up and get dressed again, pulling the hoodie he’d discarded earlier on over his t-shirt and throwing on his jeans. Both smelled heavily of the cigarettes he’d smoked earlier, but he couldn’t find a fuck to give. He pulled his muddy boots back on and headed out to the kitchen, writing a hasty note for Hazel to find in the morning if he didn’t make it back before she left for school.

“Mrow?” Lucy broke him from his thoughts as she rubbed along his legs, not attacking them for once.

“Take care of our girl, OK?” he asked her. “I don’t know how long I’ll be gone.”

“Mrow,” Lucy said in reply. Gavin bent down and scratched her behind her ears, their spat from earlier forgiven and forgotten.

“See ya,” he whispered as he left, closing the door behind him with a soft click.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up is the interrogation scene! I had a lot of fun writing it and I'm very excited to share it with you all! Thanks for reading, and I'll see you again on Saturday!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who has read this and left comments and/or kudos. It all means the world to me.
> 
> Special thanks to Keaka for the writing dates and listening to me brainstorm. If it hadn't been for them, there would have been a huge plot hole and the end of this chapter was the solution. You'll see.
> 
> And thank you again to Evie for your enthusiasm and excitement over this. It means so much ^_^

**November 6, 2038 - 12:41 AM**  
“Ah. Detective Reed. So nice of you to join us,” Hank said when Gavin walked into the observation room, coffee in hand. He noticed the new android lingering in the corner and made a point to ignore it.

“You're the one who fucking asked I show up," he grumbled. "And I was about to go to bed, asshole. So this had better be fucking worth it.”

“Is an android stabbing its owner 28 times in the gut worth a sleepless night?” Chris asked, turning to smirk at him. Hank chuckled, actually chuckled, and Gavin was taken aback. Since when did Hank have a sense of humor?

“Well, I guess that qualifies,” he said after a moment. He took a long sip of his coffee and turned to look at the Deviant in the interrogation room. “Fill me in.”

“The victim is Carlos Ortiz,” Connor said, speaking before Hank could even open his mouth. “His landlord said he hadn’t paid his rent for a few months, so he thought he’d drop by and see what was going on. That’s when he found the victim.” Gavin turned a page in the file he’d been handed and grimaced.

“Ugh. Look at the state of the bastard.”

“He has been dead approximately three weeks,” Connor continued. “And he has been stabbed 28 times in his torso and stomach. He has a record for theft and aggravated assault. According to the neighbors, he was a loner, he stayed inside most of the time and they hardly ever saw him. His android--” it nodded toward the window, “--apparently wasn’t at the scene when we arrived, but I found it hiding in the attic.”

“Hiding in the fucking attic,” Gavin mumbled, looking at more crime scene photos. “Red ice was found too, huh? And what the fuck is this statue supposed to be?”

“I’m not sure, Detective,” Connor said, tilting its head in curiosity much like a cat would. “We have yet to question it about that. We were waiting for you.”

“Well, the party don’t start ‘till I walk in,” Gavin joked, smiling at Chris who had laughed.

“I don’t see how this is a party,” Connor deadpanned, its brow creased in confusion. Gavin rolled his eyes and tucked the file under his arm.

“Never mind,” he grunted, shaking his head. “So, who’s got first dibs at it?”

“You go,” Hank offered. “An outside eye could be beneficial, and you might see something in the photos we didn’t see at the crime scene. So go ahead and take a crack at it.”

“Alright.” He nodded at Hank before turning around and leaving the observation room, appearing a moment later in the interrogation room. He sat his coffee on the table and sighed, looking down at the Deviant handcuffed to it.

“Alright, asshole, let’s get this over with.” Gavin sat in the chair opposite the Deviant. It didn’t even react to his presence, let alone the loud scrape his chair had made against the floor.

“Carlos Ortiz,” he murmured, flipping through the photos. “Stabbed 28 times.” He set a photo down in front of the Deviant and watched its LED flash red before turning yellow again. It was obviously stressed, and he knew enough not to let the LED turn red for too long before it shut itself down. “Your owner. Dead.”

The Deviant didn’t say anything.

“Looks like he’s been dead for a while,” he said, taking a casual sip of his coffee. “So, what? You killed him and stuck around to watch him decay?”

The Deviant still didn’t say anything, its LED swirling rapidly but still maintaining a yellow hue. Gavin sniffed and thumbed through the file again.

“Lotta androids been goin’ Deviant lately. You guys got a little club where you meet up and swap human killing stories?” The Deviant hung its head at that, but still didn’t say anything.

“Alright, dipshit,” Gavin spat, leaning closer to the android to look it in the face. “Either you talk or we send you to the junkyard. Tell me what happened or I give the order for you to be decommissioned and tossed out.”

Its LED flashed red for a moment longer than Reed thought was healthy before it dulled once more to yellow. He huffed in frustration and slammed the file down on the table.

“You plastic asshole,” he growled, standing up with enough force to send his chair flying back into the wall. That made the Deviant flinch, its LED spinning red once more. “Twenty eight stab wounds means this was personal. You didn’t want to leave him a chance, huh? Did you feel anger? Hate?” He walked around so he was standing beside it, slamming his hands down on the table. “He was _bleeding_ , begging you for mercy, but you stabbed him, again and again and again!”

“Please…” it begged, cowering beneath him. “Please leave me alone.”

“I know you killed him!” He walked over to the other side of the android, growling in its ear, “Why don’t you just fucking say it?”

“Please… please stop,” it whispered, turning its head away from him.

“Just say ‘I killed him!’” he shouted, slamming his hands down on the table again. “Is it that hard to say?!”

“Stop it! Stop!” it cried, its body actually shaking.

“Enough!” Hank shouted as he entered the room. He grabbed Gavin’s collar and pulled him away from the Deviant, shoving him toward the door.

“Just say you killed him!” Gavin yelled as Hank tried to carry him out of the room. “Just say it! Say it, motherfucker!”

“That’s enough, Detective!” Hank shouted, grabbing Gavin around his waist, nearly having to throw him over his shoulder as he carried him toward the door. “Get outta here and cool off!”

He snarled as Hank carried him out of the room and dropped him outside the door. He adjusted his hood and jacket in a huff as he stalked back to the observation room. As soon as he was behind the glass he took a deep breath and shook out his arms, a smug smile on his face.

“What was that?” Connor asked, staring at him. “Its stress levels are far too high. You nearly caused it to self-destruct.”

_Self-destruct? Is that what your kind calls suicide?_

He laughed and walked over to the far wall, leaning against it. “It’s a play, dumbass. I go all apeshit on it so Hank can gain its trust. That’s why he wanted me here. It’s what we do best.”

“Oh.” Connor cocked its head as it took in the information, probably storing it for later use. It then turned its attention back to the interrogation, so Gavin decided to allow himself to watch it from afar. He watched Connor watch Hank, his eyes slipping down to map out its ass every few seconds. Just because he was pissed at its existence didn't mean he couldn’t appreciate its aesthetic.

“I’m sorry about that,” Hank lied, picking the chair up and placing it upright again. He sat down across from the android and placed his hands on the tabletop, lacing his fingers together. “The kid’s a bit of a loose cannon.” The deviant seemed to be calming down, its shoulders slumping as it hung its head, staring at its hands. “But I still have a few questions for you if you’re up for them?”

There was no response, so Hank continued.

“Why’d ya kill him?” he asked, trying to keep his tone gentle. “What happened before you took that knife?”

Nothing.

“How long were ya in the attic?”

Silence. Hank was starting to get visibly irritated.

“Why didn’t you even try to run away?”

Still, nothing. Hank scowled, snapping his fingers in front of its face to be sure it hadn't gone into stasis mode.

“Say something, goddamnit!” He slammed his hands down on the desk, the Deviant barely flinching. “Fuck it, I’m outta here.”

He returned to the observation room and collapsed into the second chair next to Chris.

“We’re wasting our time interrogating a machine,” he growled. “We’re gettin’ nothing out of it!”

“Could always try roughing it up a little,” Gavin suggested, casually leaning against the wall as far away from Conner as he could be without raising suspicion. “After all, it’s not human.”

“Androids don’t feel pain,” Connor said, turning to look at him. “You would only damage it, and that wouldn’t make it talk. Deviants also have a tendency to self-destruct when they’re in stressful situations.”

“Okay, smartass,” he spat, pushing away from the wall to step a bit closer. “What should we do then?”

“ _I_ could try questioning it,” Connor suggested, looking around the room for confirmation. Gavin laughed aloud in disbelief, waving a dismissive hand and shaking his head. As if Hank would allow an android to take the lead in his investigation.

“What do we have to lose?” Gavin looked at him in shock. He was taking an android’s side? Oh no. If Hank was actually getting along with a machine then he was definitely fucked. “Go ahead. Suspect’s all yours.”

Connor nodded and left the room, allowing Gavin to move into its spot to watch it work. He was about to see it perform what it was programmed to do and he was actually excited to see it in action.

Connor appeared in the interrogation room and looked through the file Gavin had left on the table. It flipped through some photos before sitting down, staring at the Deviant. It cocked its head again in a very cat-like manner before speaking.

“You’re damaged,” it said, voice soft and calm. It made Gavin’s stomach clench at how peaceful it sounded. “Did your owner do that? Did he beat you?”

The Deviant still didn’t say anything, but it looked visibly upset by Connor’s opening.

“My name is Connor,” it said softly, briefly changing tactics. “What about you? What’s your name?”

It still didn't say anything, staring down at its hands clenched on the table.

“Listen,” Connor said softly, leaning forward a bit. “I know you’ve been through a lot, but you need to help me understand what happened.” The Deviant slunk back a bit as Connor leaned forward, but its attention was still on the detective. “Listen. I’m on your side. I want to help you. But there’s nothing I can do if you won’t talk to me.”

It still didn’t say anything, which seemed to make Connor irritated. It was designed for this sort of thing. Shouldn’t getting confessions be like trapping flies with a jar of honey? It sat back and tensed its shoulders, trying to make itself look more intimidating and succeeding.

_Fuck me._

“If you won’t talk, I’m going to have to probe your memory,” Connor said, voice stern and full of a no-nonsense authority.

“No!” the Deviant gasped, looking Connor in the eye briefly before hanging its head. “No. Please don’t do that.”

Gavin saw Hank sit back in his chair, clearly impressed. He was too, to be honest.

“What... what are they gonna do to me?” the Deviant asked, briefly looking up at Connor again. It gasped and sat up straight, visibly panicking. “They’re gonna destroy me, aren’t they?”

“They’re going to disassemble you to look for problems in your biocomponents,” Connor answered honestly. “They have no choice if they want to understand what happened.”

“Why did you tell them you found me?” it asked Connor accusingly. “Why couldn’t you have just left me there?”

“They were going to find you anyway. I was just faster,” Connor said almost proudly. “If they had found you first you would have been shot on sight.” Gavin nodded in agreement. If he’d been there and found the thing then it wouldn’t be there now to confess.

“I don’t wanna die,” it said quietly, an imitation of fear in its voice.

“Then talk to me,” Connor said softly, leaning in a bit as if to keep the conversation between them.

“I... I can’t,” it whispered, hanging its head. Gavin rolled his eyes but Connor’s voice pulled him back.

“I understand how you felt,” it lied, its voice still soft and calming. “You were overcome by anger and frustration. No one can blame you for what happened.” Gavin stared at Connor as it attempted to lull the Deviant into a false sense of security. But when that didn't work Connor switched once again, huffing in disinterest and leaning back in its seat.

“Okay then, don't talk. Why do I care, after all? I mean, I'm not the one accused of _murder_ , right?” It crossed its arms over its chest, briefly glancing back at the window. Gavin swallowed as he met its gaze through the glass. He didn't think it could see through, but maybe it could? Was its vision advanced enough to see through one-way glass?

“If you remain silent, there is nothing I can do to help you,” Connor said, turning back to the Deviant. “They're gonna shut you down for good! You'll be dead! Do you hear me?” It paused for effect, raising its voice for one final word. “ _Dead!_ ”

At first, nothing happened. Connor sat back in defeat, tapping its fingers against the table top. Hank and Gavin both shook their heads in disappointment.

“A damn shame,” Hank sighed. “I thought the kid was gonna do it.”

“Most advanced prototype my ass,” Gavin muttered, turning toward the door. “I’m going home.”

“He tortured me every day,” the Deviant said after a tense moment of silence, making him stop in his tracks. He and Hank watched in awe, their jaws dropping in shock and perhaps a little bit of pride.

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Hank said, shaking his head, a semblance of a smile pulling at his lips.

“I did whatever he told me,” the Deviant continued, looking down at its wounds. “But there was always something wrong. Then one day, he took a bat and started hitting me. For the first time... I felt scared.” It looked up at Connor before averting its gaze again. “Scared he might destroy me. Scared I might die. So I... I grabbed the knife and I stabbed him in the stomach. I felt better, so I stabbed him… again… and again... until he collapsed.” It paused and swallowed, its body twitching nervously. “There was blood everywhere,” it whispered in horror.

“Why did you hide in the attic instead of running away?” Connor asked, keeping its voice calm.

“I didn’t know what to do. For the first time, there was no one there to tell me. I was scared, so I hid,” it said, its body shaking a little at the memory.

“The sculpture in the bathroom? You made it, right? What does it represent?”

 _An odd change of subject, but OK,_ Gavin thought with a shrug.

“It’s an offering. An offering so I’ll be saved.”

“The sculpture was an offering. An offering to whom?” Connor pressed.

“To rA9,” the Deviant whispered. “Only rA9 can save us.”

“rA9. It was written on the bathroom wall. What does it mean?” Connor’s head tilted in that adorable cat-like way again, making Gavin’s stomach clench.

“The day shall come when we will no longer be slaves,” the Deviant said as if it were reciting scripture. “No more threats, no more humiliation. _We_ will be the masters.”

“rA9. Who is rA9?” Connor asked again, trying to get a straight answer out of it. But the Deviant didn’t answer. So Connor attempted a different approach.

“Why did you write ‘I AM ALIVE’ on the wall?” Connor asked, probing deeper for more information before the Deviant stopped talking.

“He used to tell me I was nothing. That I was just a piece of plastic. I had to write it to tell him he was wrong.”

“When did you start feeling emotion?”

“Before, he used to beat me and I never said anything,” it murmured. “But one day I realized it wasn’t... _fair_ ,” it spat. “I felt anger... hatred... and then I knew what I had to do.”

Connor leaned back, dragging its hand across the table as it turned to look into the window.

“I’m done,” it said, looking toward the window.

“Huh,” Gavin said in disbelief. “The plastic prick actually did it.”

“Let’s go,” Hank said, standing up and patting Chris on the shoulder. They followed him out of the observation room and entered the interrogation room when Connor opened the door.

“Chris, lock it up,” Gavin said, walking past Connor to stand closer to the Deviant. Chris walked over to the Deviant and unlocked its handcuffs from the table.

“Alright, let’s go,” he said as he grabbed its arm.

“Leave me alone!” it shouted, cowering beneath him. “Don’t touch me!”

“The fuck are you doing?” Gavin groaned, frustrated that he was being held back from finally going to bed. “Move it!”

“Okay, come on now,” Chris said gently to it. “Don’t be difficult. It’ll only make things worse.”

“You shouldn’t touch it,” Connor said, looking directly at Gavin who was clearly not touching the Deviant. “It’ll self-destruct if it feels threatened.”

“Stay outta this, got it?” Gavin growled, glaring daggers at Connor. “No fuckin’ android is gonna tell me what to do.” _Especially not one designed by my asshole brother in yet another attempt to taunt me with what I can't have._

“You don’t understand,” Connor said again, using its authoritative interrogation voice on him. _Oh, fuck me_. “If it self-destructs, we won’t get anything out of it.”

Gavin took in a deep breath to refrain from saying what he truly wanted to say to the android. “I told you to shut your _fucking_ mouth!” He turned away from Connor to keep his raging thoughts at bay. “Chris! Gonna move this asshole or what?”

“I’m trying!” he grunted, still struggling with the Deviant.

“I can’t let you do that!” Connor pushed past Gavin and pulled Chris away from the Deviant. It fell to the floor and cowered under the table. “Leave it alone, _now!_ ” The no-nonsense tone in Connor’s voice made Gavin see red. Who the hell did that plastic prick think it was, giving them orders? He pulled his gun out and aimed at Connor’s head.

“I warned you, _motherfucker_!” he spat, pushing closer to the android’s forehead. It didn’t even flinch when the barrel was barely an inch away from its synthetic skin.

“That’s enough!” Hank said, his tone sounding a lot like Gavin’s mother when she had to get him and Eli to stop fighting.

“Mind your own business, Hank,” he growled between gritted teeth, his gun still pointed at Connor’s head.

“I said, ‘that’s enough,’” Hank repeated, pulling out his own gun and aiming it at Gavin. He turned to look at Hank and back to Connor, which was a huge mistake. They made eye contact and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Phck,” he accidentally said aloud, the word coming out wrong out of shame and insecurity. He hastily lowered his gun as a shitty cover for his outburst. He glanced at Hank again and holstered his weapon. “You’re not gonna get away with it this time,” he growled. But something on Hank’s face told him he absolutely would and there was nothing Gavin could say or do to convince Fowler to punish him.

“Phck,” he said again before storming out of the room. He immediately went to his car and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it before he could fully remember his promise to Hazel. He pulled his free hand down his face and groaned.

“Fuck,” he whispered once more, correctly pronouncing the word at last, as the image of Connor’s eyes appeared in his mind. He was truly, royally, and absolutely fucked.

His phone ringing was actually a godsend in that moment. He closed his eyes as he picked up, taking another drag of his cigarette.

“This is Reed,” he said, voice gruff with stress and lack of sleep.

“Gavin Reed?” the voice on the other end asked.

“Yeah. Who’s this?”

“This is Nurse Kelley from the Henry Ford Hospital. I’m afraid a Carl Manfred has been brought in for a massive myocardial infarction.”

“ _What?!_ ” He sat up and threw his cigarette out the window, clutching his phone to his ear. “Carl’s had a heart attack?”

“Yes.” He could hear papers shuffling as she went through the files. “We’d appreciate it if you could come over as soon as possible. He’s stable, but you may need to make some difficult decisions soon.”

“Shit. Alright. I’ll be over soon.”

“Thank you, Mr. Reed. We’ll see you soon.”

He hung up and tossed his phone down onto the passenger seat. He covered his face in his hands and screamed, digging his nails into his skin.

“CAN’T I CATCH A FUCKING BREAK?” he cried, slamming his hands down on the steering wheel. “JUST ONE _FUCKING_ BREAK?” He repeatedly slammed his hands against his steering wheel until they felt numb, screaming at the top of his lungs. First the fucking android and now Carl was in the hospital? Bad news always came in threes, so what else could life throw at him? He hit the steering wheel one last time before snatching his phone back. He dialed Hazel’s number as he tore out of the parking lot, racing to get to her.

“Dad?” her sleepy voice mumbled over his speakers. “What the fuck? Do you know what fucking time it is? Are you seriously calling me from your goddamn room?”

“Hazel,” he said sternly, tearing down the highway. “I need you to get dressed. We’re going to the hospital.”

“What the fuck?! Why?! What’s happened?!”

“Grandpa Carl’s had a heart attack.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna... be over here... 
> 
> You can find me on [tumblr](http://tearstainedashes.tumblr.com/) if you want to yell at me...
> 
> I'll see myself out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me quite a while to get the opening scene written. It was bringing back a lot of memories of my own grandfather being in the hospital, so I had to go slow. Thank you to Keaka for helping me through this section as well. 
> 
> Now go get a coffee, dipshits, and enjoy.

**November 6, 2038: 1:56 AM**  
Hazel ran into the hospital lobby, Gavin close behind. She practically slid across the floor as she tried to stop in front of the receptionist’s desk, all but slamming into it.

“Hello. How may I help you?” the android behind the counter asked, unfazed by Hazel's energy.

“Carl Manfred,” Hazel said, panting. “Where is he?”

The android typed in his name, his history popping up on its computer screen. “And what is your relationship to him?”

“I’m his granddaughter,” she said, wringing her hands in front of her.

“And you, sir?” it asked, looking at Gavin.

“I’m his son-in-law.”

It nodded and wrote down a room number on a sticky note.

“He’s in the cardiac ward,” it told them, passing Hazel the note. “Room A113.”

“Thank you!” Hazel took off at a run again, Gavin following her. They made it to Carl’s room and stopped outside the door to catch their breath. Neither knew what to expect when they walked in. Gavin looked down at Hazel and held out his hand. She took it and squeezed hard. They both nodded before opening the door and entering the room.

Carl was hooked up to a number of machines, some monitoring his vitals and the others literally keeping him alive. It broke Gavin’s heart to see the man looking so small and fragile. Carl turned to look at the door when it opened, his whole demeanor brightening when he saw them.

“Hazel,” he whispered, reaching out for her. She choked on a sob and ran to him, taking his hand before leaning down to hug him. “Shh. Don’t cry, sweet girl. Don’t cry. I’m alright.” He reached up with a shaky hand and started petting her hair.

Gavin stood back and let them have their moment. It had been a while since they had visited Carl, and now he felt even more guilty because of his current state. He leant against the wall and shoved his hands in his pockets, hanging his head.

“Gavin.”

He sniffed and looked up. Hazel had moved to the far side of the bed, sniffling to herself as she hugged him. Carl was holding a hand out to him, his arm slightly shaking from the effort. He rushed over and took it before it put too much strain on Carl. He was pulled in for a hug, Carl humming as he was enveloped by his family.

“Carl,” he choked out, pressing his forehead against the older man’s.

“I’m alright, son,” he murmured, giving his hand a squeeze. “I’m alright.” Gavin sucked in a breath and pulled away, wiping away the tears that had fallen down his cheeks.

“What happened, Carl?” he asked, still holding onto his hand. Hazel moved away to give them some space. She sat in one of the chairs across from Carl’s bed, drawing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them.

“It was nothing,” he said, his voice shaking. “I… I’d just come back from my exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art. Markus was pouring me a drink when I noticed the studio light was on.” He paused to take a breath, his hand shaking in Gavin’s loose grip. “We went to investigate… and found Leo.” Gavin nodded, patiently waiting as Carl collected himself.

“I asked Markus to get him out, and by then he’d already called the police. But Leo… he’s on it again. I know he is. He can deny it all he wants, but a father knows.” Gavin squeezed his hand, nodding solemnly. “He started… started attacking Markus. I asked him not to defend himself. But Leo just kept pushing, and pushing. He was yelling about how I never loved him as much as I did his sister and how I was replacing him with Markus. Suddenly he was on the ground.”

“Carl, if this is too much we can pause for a little while,” Gavin said softly.

“No. I’m fine. I… I need to tell my side before you read about the lies in the report.”

“Alright. But just take your time, OK?”

He nodded and took a deep breath, steadying himself. He didn’t continue until his heart rate went down, not wanting to work himself up more than he had already been that day.

“I told Markus to leave, to run, because the police would destroy him. But he… he didn’t want to leave me.” He sucked in a shaky breath, squeezing Gavin’s hand. “Then the police showed up and… and before I could stop them… they shot him.”

Gavin sighed and hung his head. The officers were only doing their jobs, but perhaps shooting the android was a bit premature. Sure, they were seeing a lot more deviant cases involving assault, but he knew Markus would never intentionally hurt Carl or Leo. Unless…

“Carl,” he said softly, drawing the older man’s attention back to him. “Did Markus deviate?”

“No,” he whispered, taking his hand away in a huff. “He… he would never.”

“Carl, you said he _pushed_ Leo.” He scowled slightly and straightened up, his back cracking slightly between his shoulder blades. “Androids are programmed to protect human life, not endanger it.” Carl sighed and looked away, catching Hazel’s eyes. She smiled sadly at him, resting her chin on her knees.

“Yes,” he whispered after a moment. “Yes. Markus… he deviated. He must have. There’s no other explanation.” Gavin sighed and hung his head. Of all androids to go deviant, it just had to be Carl’s. One Eli had made specifically to take care of Carl after his accident. And now it was dead. Who would take care of Carl now? Would he have to hire another android? Would he stay at the hospital? How much time did he even have left? Was he going to die there?

A soft knock on the door brought him out of his spiraling thoughts. He turned and saw a nurse standing in the doorway, a clipboard in her hands.

“Hello,” she said softly, stepping into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.”

“No, no, it’s fine,” he assured her. “Please, come in.” She nodded and stepped into the room, closing the door behind her.

_Oh, no. This can’t be good news._

“I’m Nurse Kelley,” she said. “I believe we spoke on the phone?”

“Yes. Yes, we did.” He cleared his throat before continuing. “So, what’s happened to my father-in-law?”

“He suffered a massive heart attack after being in a highly stressful situation,” she said in layman’s terms. “His records show he’s already been under continuous care since the accident. And he’s been taking heart medication regularly for the last decade.”

“Yes,” he said, nodding. “He had an android caretaker. But it was destroyed, and now I… I don’t know what’s going to happen to him.”

“I’m afraid he doesn’t have much longer,” she said, clutching the clipboard to her chest. “So, you have a difficult decision to make. You have two options: one, he stays here and is taken care of by our staff; or two, he goes home where he’d have to be monitored 24/7, which means he’d need another android.”

“God dammit,” he growled. He ran a hand through his hair and paced along the room. Another fucking android? There were too many going deviant lately. It was too risky to trust one with Carl again. But he couldn’t exactly leave him in the hospital to die. And he also couldn’t take the time off work to look after him either.

“I know it’s a tough decision,” the nurse said, “but I have some transfer and release papers for you if you want to send him home.” She held the clipboard out and he stopped pacing. Tentatively, he reached out and took it, scanning over the documents. Hazel was by his side in an instant, reading over the papers herself. He sighed and looked over at Carl. He didn’t want him to die alone in the fucking hospital, but he also didn’t want to have to trust yet another android to take care of him. He had to choose the lesser of two evils, for the sake of Carl’s well-being.

“If he’s gonna die,” he said slowly, turning to look at the nurse once more, “he’s gonna die at home.”

“Dad,” Hazel whispered, taking his arm. “Are you sure?”

“I’m sure,” he murmured. “And that’s final.” He signed the forms and passed them back. Carl smiled and reached out, gently squeezing his hand.

“Thank you, son,” he whispered.

“You deserve to die on your own terms, Carl,” he whispered back, turning to give him a sad smile. “Better it be at home than in a damned hospital.”

“Thank you,” he said again, his eyes closing. Gavin placed his hand down on the bed and sighed heavily. He hated to leave Carl in the care of another android, but he couldn’t let him die in a hospital. He deserved better than that.

Hazel wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his coat. He held her close, cradling the back of her head in one hand while the other ran up and down her back. She was shaking, her sobs muffled against him. He didn’t say anything, mostly because he was unsure of exactly what to say. He let the silence stretch between them as Carl slept on.

**…::-::…**

**November 6, 2038 - 10:47 AM**  
“Gav?”

He looked up and blinked away the sleepy fog from his eyes. After leaving the hospital he’d taken Hazel home. She cooked them breakfast, but he couldn’t really stomach food at that time. He managed a few bites of the eggs, but that was it. At the very least he remembered to sign her permission slip. And even after three cups of coffee he was still feeling drowsy and unfocused. The commute to the DPD was such a blur in his sleep-deprived state that he didn’t even know how long he’d been at work. A quick glance at the clock told him it was nearing 11 A.M., which meant he’d already been at his desk for three fucking hours. He shook his head and looked up to see Tina was standing next to his desk, a cup of coffee held out to him.

“Ugh,” he grunted, accepting the cup. He took a long drink, not caring if it burnt his tongue. The pain would help him wake up anyway.

“You alright? I haven’t seen you in this state in a while.”

“And what sort of state is that?” he asked after coming up for air.

“Exhausted.” He blinked and sat back, looking at her in disbelief.

“I’m _always_ exhausted, Tina,” he said, brow creasing in confusion.

“I know. But normally you don’t let it show. Something’s different today.” She smirked and gestured at his hoodie. “And the fact that you’re wearing the same clothes as yesterday says a lot.”

“Oh my god, Tina. That’s not why I’m exhausted,” he said, shaking his head.

“Well, I can’t think of any other reason as to why you couldn’t sleep last night.” She winked, making him roll his eyes. “So, who is it?”

“There isn’t anyone,” he grumbled, turning away to face his computer screen. “You know I haven’t gotten laid in months.”

“So? Doesn’t mean you can’t be sexually frustrated over someone.”

_Ain't that the fucking truth._

“So, who has Trash-Man Reed, hardass homicide detective, tossing and turning at night because he can’t get them out of his head?”

“It’s not like that at all, Tina,” he hissed, scowling at her.

“Then what is it like then?” she asked, placing a hand on her hip. He grunted and stood up, taking his coffee with him.

“Come with me,” he whispered, nodding over to the break room. She nodded and followed, the two of them taking over the back table in the meager excuse of a break room. At least there was a vending machine for snacks and a coffee machine where they could use their own coffee pods versus everyone sharing one shitty pot.

“Gav, what’s going on?” Tina asked when they were hunkered over together in the corner. “I’m kind of worried now.”

“I’m fine,” he whispered, looking around before leaning in closer. “Well… no, I’m not. My father-in-law was admitted to the cardiac ward last night and I didn’t hear about it until damn near 1:30 in the fucking morning.”

“Oh my God! Gavin!” She reached out and placed a hand on his arm, giving it a squeeze. “Is he alright?”

“He’s… stable,” he managed to say before tearing up. “It's just… he doesn’t have long.”

“Gav.” She went to pull him in for a hug but he shrugged away, hunching over his coffee.

“I’m fine,” he lied. “Besides, I have a reputation to uphold.” He smiled weakly. “I’m the resident asshole. I can’t be seen hugging someone. I’ll never live it down.”

“Gavin, seriously,” she murmured, placing her hand back on his arm. “If you need to talk you know I’ll always listen, right?”

“Yeah.” He looked down at his coffee. “Yeah, I know.”

“Good.” She gave his arm a brief squeeze before letting go. “Is there anything else going on that I should know about?”

“Well... the new android... I’m having some problems with it.”

“Problems?” She blinked and her brow furrowed. “Are you losing sleep over an android?”

“No,” he spat before averting his gaze. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

“Why? What’s different about it that you’re this hung up over it?”

“It’s not that I’m hung up over it,” he murmured into his coffee cup. “I just... haven’t adjusted to it yet.”

“I mean, it _has_ only been here for, like, 12 hours,” she pointed out. “And you probably haven't seen much of it, right? But did you get to see it in action last night? Chris was telling me about the interrogation and how awesome it was to watch it work.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I got to see it work,” he said, glancing at Tina and offering her a soft smile. “It was... fascinating, actually.” He blushed and turned his face away, his fingers tracing the rim of his coffee. “Hank and I couldn’t get the Deviant to talk, and Connor managed to after only being with it a few minutes.”

“What’s it like?” she asked, leaning forward and resting her chin in her palm. “I haven’t seen it yet.”

“Oh. Um...” He paused and bit his lip, trying to think of a way to describe it without it coming out too appreciative. “It’s... aggressive, but calm and… attractive.” _Shit._ “For an android,” he hastily added.

“Attractive for an android, huh?” Tina asked, a proud smirk pulling at her lips.

“Shut up,” he growled, taking a big gulp of coffee to avoid talking to her anymore. Not a moment later and Connor walked into the room, exploring its new environment.

“Fuck, look at that,” Gavin said a bit too loudly, making Tina look up too. Her eyebrows rose as she took it in. It was her first time seeing it and Gavin had a feeling it had the same effect on her as it first had on him. He scoffed and shook his head. He couldn't allow himself to even think about it anymore. Eli had made it for a reason, and after what he did with Chloe he wasn't about to let the bastard win.

“Our friend the plastic detective is back in town!” he said even louder than before since Connor appeared to not have heard him the first time. It stopped looking around and instead turned to look at him.

_Shit. Why did I even say anything?_

“Congratulations on last night, very impressive!” he said, unable to stop himself, giving the android a sarcastic slow clap applause. Tina hit his elbow with her own, frowning at him.

“What?” he mouthed.

“Be nice,” she mouthed back. He groaned and rolled his eyes at her.

“Hello, Detective Reed,” it said, nodding at them in greeting, giving them its wonky half-smile. Gavin swallowed and set down his coffee, drumming his fingers on the table and giving Tina one last glance before walking over to it. He hadn’t been that close to it since the incident in the interrogation room, and he hadn’t been able to fully take it in yet. His brain kept short-circuiting (with rage or lust, he wasn't quite sure) whenever he looked at it for too long. Maybe now that there was a witness he’d actually be able to stay calm enough to get some information about itself out of it.

He sauntered over and slowly raked his gaze down its body and back up. Eli had really outdone himself on the design, and he hated that he appreciated it so much. As he brought his gaze back up to its face he took stock of its clothes and how well they fit its body. It wore boots similar to his own, perfectly tailored Levi’s jeans that made its legs look lithe and its ass-- _NOPE. Stopping that train of thought right there._ Its jacket bore the CyberLife logo on the left breast pocket, its model and serial number on the right with the standard android armband on its right bicep. It wore a simple white button-up and a black tie that glinted in the light. When he made it back up to its face he had to pause to take a breath. It was looking at him as intently as he was it. He swallowed before finding his voice again.

“Never seen an android like you before,” he said, his voice coming out much more flirty than he’d intended. “What model are you?”

“RK800,” Connor answered automatically. “I’m a prototype.”

“A prototype.” He huffed and looked back over at Tina. “Android detective,” he said to her as if she didn’t already know what Connor was. She looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and disappointment, her shoulders slumping as she let out a deep breath. He shrugged at her before turning away to face Connor again. “So machines are gonna replace us all. Is that it?”

Connor didn’t answer. Gavin scowled and tried to look down on it as best he could, but that was a bit hard considering it had a good three inches of height on him. Fucking Eli and his fucking photographic memory. Tall men were his weakness, but especially tall, lanky men who still looked like they could beat him in a fight. But he wouldn't allow himself to admit he was possibly attracted to the plastic prick.

“Hey,” he said harshly, making Connor tilt its head in that adorable cat-like way again. “Bring me a coffee, dipshit.” Connor’s eyes blinked rapidly, processing the order. Gavin scowled as it hesitated and yelled out, “GET A MOVE ON!”

Connor finally turned to the coffee maker and popped a pod into the machine, a steady stream of coffee emptying into the cup below. Gavin huffed a laugh and turned back to Tina, who was frowning at him and shaking her head. Gavin turned back and bit his thumb, his eyes trailing down to look at Connor’s ass before he could stop himself. Connor turned around a moment later and walked over, standing a bit too close for comfort, holding out the cup of coffee to him. He frowned and gently pushed its hand away, being sure not to spill the coffee.

“Do yourself a favor,” he whispered, the skin of his hand tingling where it had made contact with Connor’s fingers. “Stay outta my way.” He jabbed a finger against Connor’s chest for emphasis before turning away. Tina reluctantly got up and followed him, leaving Connor standing alone in the break room, awkwardly holding a cup of coffee it couldn’t drink.

“What the hell was that?” Tina hissed as they sat at their desks.

“I don’t know,” Gavin growled, running his hands over his face. “I don’t fucking know.”

“You’ve always been immature with your crushes, Gav,” she whispered, leaning forward a bit so they wouldn’t be overheard. “But that was just ridiculous.”

“I don’t... I don’t have a crush on it,” he protested lamely, mussing up his hair to keep his hands from clenching into fists.

“You said it was attractive,” she pointed out. “And I know what sort of people you’re attracted to, Gav. And that android checks all the boxes.”

“Yeah, um... there’s a reason for that,” he mumbled. “Elijah designed it to my ideal specifications.” Tina cocked her head quizzically. “Basically, he made me my dream guy.”

“Oh.” She sat back and stared at him, processing. “So, that’s why you’re so frustrated with it. You want to like it, but you also don’t because it’s an android… made by your brother.”

“And because the last time he created an android around a love interest of mine it ripped our family apart,” he grumbled, opening up his terminal. “So, yeah, I'm frustrated and angry and confused and the whole damn thing is a shit show.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, frowning at him. “And on top of everything going on with Carl… Are you sure you’re alright?”

“No,” he admitted. “But… I think I will be.”

“Come find me if you need to talk, OK?” she asked, wanting to reach for him but didn’t for the sake of his privacy. “I’ll always make time for you, Trash-Man.”

He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Thanks, Tina.”

“No problem.” She smiled at him before turning to her terminal. Gavin turned to his own and typed in Leo’s case number. The file said Markus had attempted to murder Leo, that he had pushed him and the boy had hit his head against Carl’s wheelchair painting apparatus. After his conversation with Carl that morning he knew that was complete and utter bullshit. Markus had been shot on sight and had already been taken to the junkyard. Leo was in a medically-induced coma while his head healed, and Carl was going to be discharged and transferred home the next day.

Reading it over and over again proved to be the opposite of helpful, so he finally closed it and opened a new document to work on. He tried to do some work but it was incredibly difficult given how distracted he was. After an hour of something that could barely be considered rest, Carl’s hospitalization, barely any food, and a sexually frustrating android, he was surprised his eyes could even focus on the text in front of him, let alone remain concentrated long enough to actually absorb it.

He sucked in a breath when he saw Connor walk by, heading over to Hank’s desk. Hank was doing his best to ignore it, but Connor kept talking to him until it was given the desk across from Hank’s. Gavin watched it sit, its movements graceful and precise, and watched its fingers fly over the keys as it accessed every case file on Deviants they had. Some of which he’d written and compiled only yesterday. He couldn’t stop staring at it. His breath hitched when he saw it remove its artificial skin from its hand, pressing it against the keyboard. It was interfacing. He’d heard about it but had never seen it for himself. It was disturbing yet fascinating to finally see. It paused in its reading and looked up, staring right back at him as if it had sensed his gaze. Gavin flushed deep crimson and immediately turned away, turning his attention to the empty document open on his monitor.

“Shut up,” he grunted at Tina, who had a smug look on her face.

“You’ve only known it for a matter of hours and you’re already so smitten,” she whispered, a cocky smirk on her lips.

“I said ‘shut up,’” he growled. He reached for his earbuds and hit play on his phone, not bothering to look at the playlist. Any music would do right now. He had to get that android out of his head, and fast.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very special thanks to [Keaka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeakaSenka/pseuds/KeakaSenka) for reading over this and for all your love and support. Your excitement for this story gives me life and it means so, so much to me.
> 
> And for [Evie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryblonde/pseuds/berryblonde), whose [story](https://archiveofourown.org/works/15381726) inspired me to write my own. Your comments always bring a smile to my face and your enthusiasm brings me so much joy.
> 
> [Side note: when it comes to Michigan colleges/universities, Michigan State is far superior to University of Michigan. Them's the ropes, kids. I don't make the rules. ~~Yes I do.~~ ]

**August 13, 2020 - 4:32 PM**  
“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Gavin asked, picking at a piece of lint on his incredibly faded black jeans. His hair fell in front of his eyes and he groaned, pushing it back. He really needed to get it cut.

“About six A.M.,” Chloe answered, watching his hands move restlessly. “It’s about a 12 hour drive. What about you?”

“I don't have to go until next week.” He looked up at her and frowned, her bright blue eyes looking straight into his greenish-grey ones. “Because unlike _some people_ I’m not going out of state.”

“Gavin, we talked about this.” Chloe sighed and sat back against her headboard, running a hand through her long, blonde hair. “I chose Georgia because it has one of the best elementary education programs in the country.”

“So does Central Michigan,” he countered. “And…”

Her eyes widened and she pressed her mouth into a thin line. “Gav. No.”

“…As much as I hate to say it…”

“Please, don’t.”

“…State.”

She faked a gagging sound and shuddered, vehemently shaking her head. “No. Absolutely not. I could never go to State. I’d rather shoot myself in the foot than go to State.”

He snorted and shook his head. She really knew how to lighten a mood. “I knew there was a reason why I loved you.”

“I love you too, Gav,” she whispered, reaching out to take his hand. “We’re going to be alright. I know we will be. And we can always try long distance.”

“That shit never lasts and you know it,” he grumbled, looking away. “Besides, I know you’ll find a college guy much more handsome and mentally stable than me. You’ll be better off not being tied down to a loser like me.”

“Gavin, stop.” She leaned forward and placed her other hand over their joined ones. “You’re my favorite person in the universe. No one could ever be that for me ever again.”

“Not even my smartass brother?”

“ _Especially_ not Eli,” she assured him. “He’s too much of a know-it-all anyway. I like my guys to be smart, but not supervillain geniuses.”

Gavin huffed a laugh and smiled at her. “Eli’s not a supervillain,” he mumbled.

“He’s close enough,” she said, waving a dismissive hand. “Besides, I chose you, didn’t I? Why would I suddenly run to Eli after so long?”

He shrugged and looked away, playing with his earring. He often wondered if Eli still had his, or if he’d taken it out for one inane reason or another. She sighed and curled up beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Come on, Gav. Brighten up. It’s not like this is going to be the last time we see each other. There’s always video chats, and winter break.”

“But that’s so far away,” he whined, plopping down on her bed, his legs hanging off the side. She laughed and lied down next to him, resting her head on his chest. His hand immediately went to play with her hair, making her hum in content.

“I’m gonna miss you, Gav,” she whispered, wrapping an arm around him and squeezing. “But this isn’t goodbye. I swear. We’re going to make this work.”

“OK.” He hugged her back before tilting her head up for a kiss. “We can try.”

“That’s all I ask.” She kissed him again, deeper that time. He hummed and let her crawl on top of him, his hands sliding down to her waist.

“Your dad--” he groaned, his voice getting cut off as she nipped at the sensitive spot behind his ear.

“He’s at an art exhibition,” she said, kissing down his neck. “We’ve got the place to ourselves for a few more hours.”

“Fuck,” he groaned, tilting his head back so she could nip at the hollow of his throat.

“Exactly what I was thinking,” she purred, sucking a bruise on to his collarbone.

“You got anything for us to use?”

“No. But my cycle isn’t supposed to start for a couple weeks, so we should be fine.”

He pulled back a bit and looked into her eyes, his hands cupping her face. “Are you sure? Like, absolutely, one hundred percent, no-doubts-at-all sure?”

“I’m sure,” she whispered, pressing a kiss to his palm. “I want to do this with you, Gav.”

“Alright.” He sat up and pulled her in for a kiss, tangling his hand in her hair. He growled softly when she pulled away, gripping her tight before flipping their positions. She squealed and laughed, running her hands through his hair as he swallowed her giggles with a kiss.

**…::-::…**

**October 7, 2020 - 5 PM**  
“Ha-ooooly shit! You changed your hair!” Chloe gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.

Gavin laughed and blushed, running a hand through said hair. He’d gotten it done the day before, an early birthday present to himself.

“Yeah,” he said bashfully, rubbing his hand against the back of his head. The shaved bits still tickled his palm, and it felt kind of nice. “It was time for a change.”

“Did you get it dyed too? It looks lighter.”

“I asked to have it be closer to my natural color, yeah.”

“Well, it looks good.” She grinned and bit her lip. “The Bad Boy is now a College Boy.”

“Thanks, Crow,” he said, grinning like mad.

“A crow shits on my head _one time_ ,” she groaned, though her smile never faded.

“Well, if the poo fits.”

“I was eight!”

“I could have called you Shithead, Crow. Which would you prefer?”

She scowled, conceding defeat. “Fine. Bitch.”

“Jerk.”

“God, I miss you,” she said around a laugh.

“I miss you, too,” he said, smiling at her.

“Oh! I just remembered! I called to tell you something!”

“Yeah?” He smirked and rested his chin in his palm, placing his elbow on his desk. “And what was that?”

“Happy birthday, Gav!” Chloe said, her smiling face brightening up his laptop screen.

“Thanks, babe.” He looked into her eyes on the screen, hoping she was looking into his as well. “So, how’s Georgia treating you?”

“It’s alright. The weather is so different here though. A lot more humid, and I hate it.” She slammed her hands down on the desk and said through gritted teeth, “Gav, it’s October and it’s still _seventy_ fucking degrees.”

“You’re in the south now, Crow. Which means you're closer to hell. Better get used to the heat.”

“Oh, fuck you, Gav,” she spat, though her words held no malice. He laughed and wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

“Ya hurt me, darlin’,” he said in an atrocious southern accent.

“No one in Georgia sounds like that,” she said, but he had made her smile.

“But seriously, how’re you doing down there?” he asked, his voice back to normal.

“I’m alright. A little lonely, but I’ve been trying to make friends with people in my classes.”

“Good. Same here. Though I still seem to have that aura around me that makes people want to avoid sitting by me.”

“It’s an aura that only attracts special people, Gav. Like it did with me.”

“Are you sure it wasn’t my rugged good looks?”

“Gav, you were six when we met.”

“So? A six-year-old can’t be good looking?”

“A six-year-old can be cute as heck, not good looking.”

“I like to think I was a rebel.”

“Oh, you were certainly that,” she said, laughing. “So, you doing anything fun tonight?” she asked, resting her chin in her hand. “Or are you still an emo loner?”

“Ha. Ha. Ha,” he deadpanned, rolling his eyes. “Always so quick with the jabs. For your information, I’m heading out to a bar with some people from class. I will forever be thankful for the drinking age being lowered to 18.”

“Just try not to overdo it, yeah? I know it’s your birthday, but there’s gotta be a limit, Gav.”

“The limit does not exist,” he joked, making her snort.

“Oh, my god, shut up,” she laughed. He turned away from the screen for a moment to shout something at his roommate, and when he turned back her face looked much more somber.

“Chloe?” His brow creased and he frowned, a hand reaching out to stroke the screen. “What’s with the face?”

“Gavin… I have something I need to tell you.” His face dropped as she spoke, the seriousness in her tone worrying him.

“What? Is something wrong? Is it your dad? Because I know he’s been having heart prob--”

“Gavin, I’m pregnant.”

**…::-::…**

**December 21, 2020 - 2:18 PM**  
He sat outside the house in the car, gripping the steering wheel tight enough to make the leather crackle. Chloe was coming home today. He was going to see her for the first time since the fateful video chat. He hadn’t had the courage to speak to her, he wasn’t even sure if he was ready to face her, but he knew putting it off any longer would just make things worse. He had to face the consequences of his actions. He had to be a man… and he had to become a father to his unborn child.

The Manfred’s vehicle finally turned the corner and made its way down the street. _You can do this, Gavin. You can fucking do this._

He exited his own car and waited for them on the sidewalk, watching the car pull up the driveway and park. He immediately headed over to speak to Chloe, but her father exited the car first.

“Oh. Hi, Mr. Manfred,” he said, swallowing thickly as the man looked down at him.

“Gavin,” he said, a sad smile on his face. “Thank you for coming, son.”

“Oh, um… it’s… the right thing to do,” he stammered, his hand clenching into a fist at his side. “I couldn’t just… _not_ come.”

“Good.” He patted his shoulder before opening Chloe’s door. She'd been sitting in the car, watching the exchange between them. She gingerly stepped out and onto the curb, a hand resting on her stomach.

“We’ll talk inside,” she said to Gavin before turning away and walking inside. Carl handed him a couple of her bags and he dutifully carried them inside and sat them by the stairs.

“I’m going to make some coffee,” Carl said as he walked up behind him. “Would you like some?”

“Oh, um, sure, Mr. Manfred,” he stammered.

“Gavin, please call me Carl,” the older man tutted.

“Absolutely not,” he said teasingly, trying to smile. Carl smiled back and went into the kitchen. Gavin walked into the lounge to look for Chloe, his eyes automatically climbing up the huge stuffed giraffe standing off to the side. He noticed the light was on in the studio, so he headed there first.

Chloe was gathering paints and setting them up near an empty canvas. She already had a smock on, paint brushes tucked into the pockets and one already behind her ear. She had her hair pulled back in a ponytail, and it bounced with her jerky movements.

“Crow?”

She paused to look at him, the brush behind her ear flying away and landing on the floor. She swore under her breath and picked it up, tucking it back in its place.

“I said we’d talk,” she said as she brought a glass of water over to the table. She grabbed her painter’s palette and opened some tubes of paint, putting blobs of blues, purples, and a couple of greens down beside the giant blob of white. “So go ahead. Talk. I’ll paint.”

“Crow, I want you to talk _with_ me. I don’t want to talk _at_ you,” he said, walking over and leaning against the table.

“I’ll talk,” she said, her brush already flying across the canvas. “Maybe not with words, but I’ll talk.”

Gavin sighed and shook his head. _Fucking artists._

“Alright. Fine. But what do you want me to say?” She didn’t answer, already dipping into a new color. “Do you want me to say I regret not using protection that night?”

That made her pause. She gripped her brush hard enough to make some paint chips fall off the wood. She sucked in a breath and turned to look at him.

“Do you?” she asked, her voice tight.

“No,” he whispered, shaking his head. “I could never regret this.”

“OK.” She turned back to her painting, adding some purples around the edges.

“So, are you… are you keeping it?”

“Yes,” she said, splashing more blue onto the canvas.

“And, um, how far along are you?”

“About four months.”

“And when are you due?”

“Do the math, dipshit,” she spat. She turned to give him a soft smile to let him know she was sorry for snapping.

“Oh. Sorry.” He blushed and looked down at his boots. “So… May?”

“Doctor’s estimate is May 25th,” she said. “But we all know due dates aren’t an exact science.”

“Yeah,” he muttered. He watched her paint for a while longer until Carl came in, holding two cups of coffee.

“Here you are, son,” he said gently, passing Gavin a mug.

“Thanks… Carl,” he murmured, accepting the beverage and holding it in both hands. Carl hummed and stood next to him, nursing his own cup of coffee while they watched Chloe paint.

“Are you going back?” Gavin finally asked after a few minutes of slightly uncomfortable silence.

“No,” she said, her fingers and smock now stained blue. “Not yet at least. I’ve already requested the semester off. I’ll go back in the fall, after the birth.”

“Oh. OK.” He looked down at his coffee and took a drink. “Should I drop out too?”

“I’m not dropping out, Gav. I’m just taking a break. And I don’t want you to compromise your schooling for this.”

“It’s my baby too, Chloe. Shouldn’t I get a say?”

“Gavin, please.” She stopped painting and turned to look at him. “Don’t. It’ll be harder for you to catch up and graduate on time than it will be for me. Teaching is easy. Criminology, not so much. You need to graduate, Gav. Since we’re going to have a family now, we’re gonna need that police paycheck.” She gave him a half smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. He sighed in defeat and hung his head.

“You’re right,” he murmured. “You’re right.” He took a large sip of his coffee and grimaced. He still wasn’t used to the bitter taste, even with cream and sugar.

They stood there in a semi-uncomfortable silence as Chloe continued to paint. Carl murmured words of encouragement now and then while Gavin just listened to the brush against the canvas. He closed his eyes and held tightly to his mug, not wanting to drop it and disturb the calm. The sound of the brushstrokes made the back of his head tingle, calming him down significantly.

The sound of the brush landing in the sink woke him from his trance. He and Carl looked at the painting as Chloe cleaned up. Dark blues and purples swirled around the edges, gradually getting lighter and lighter as it reached the center. He might not have been the brightest when it came to interpreting art, but even he knew what Chloe was trying to convey.

She was drowning, trying to swim back to the surface, but no one was there to help. There was just the water as it carried her down.

**…::-::…**

**June 6, 2021 - 8:57 AM**  
Screaming. There was so much screaming. And crying. And someone was shouting slightly in encouragement. But none of that mattered. Their child was being born. They were about to become parents. He brushed Chloe’s hair out of her face with his free hand, his other currently numb in her vice grip.

“You’re doing great,” the doctor said, an encouraging smile behind her mask as the contraction ended. “You’re almost there. Just a few more pushes and you’ll have your baby.”

“Almost there,” Chloe whispered, a joyous smile on her face despite her exhaustion. “Almost there.” He grinned and nodded, scared he might puke if he tried to talk.

Not a moment later and Chloe was pushing again. He vaguely heard the doctor say something about shoulders. Whose shoulders? Chloe screamed one last time before collapsing against the bed, releasing his hand. A baby was crying. _Their baby_ was crying. Fuck, even he was crying.

“It’s a girl!” the doctor announced proudly. He couldn’t see behind her mask, but he could tell she was smiling brightly at them. Their daughter was placed in Chloe’s arms, both of them crying. Fucking everyone was crying.

“She’s beautiful,” Chloe said around a sob. Gavin nodded, still afraid to speak. He was probably crying too hard to make any sort of sense anyway.

“Would you like to cut the cord, Mr. Reed?” the doctor asked. He looked over at her, eyes wide. She must have sensed his fear because she gently shook her head, giving him a soft smile. He turned back to his girls, his family, as a nurse came forward. She gently took their baby and the doctor snipped the cord. He probably would have fucked it up somehow anyway.

After cutting the cord, the nurse cleaned her before weighing and measuring her. She was then wrapped her in a pink blanket and the tiniest pink beanie he’d ever seen was put onto her head. She was placed into his arms, much calmer now that she was warmer and swaddled. She blinked up at him, her blue-grey eyes wide as she stared. Some of her dark hair peeked out under the beanie, so he gently brushed it away, making her coo. His heart was beating so fast. He was a dad now. Holy fuck.

“What should we name her?” Chloe asked, reaching out to him. Her hand was shaking, but he chalked it up to physical and emotional exhaustion.

“I… I don’t know,” he murmured, finally finding his voice. He turned a bit so Chloe could see the beautiful baby girl they had made. “We were expecting a boy. We didn’t really think about girl names.”

“Well, what about that name you suggested on the off chance it _was_ a girl?”

“You mean Hazel?” She nodded. “I only threw that out there because of the _Saga_ series.”

“It’s a good series,” she argued. Was it his imagination or was she looking a bit pale?

“It is--” he’d started to say, but Chloe’s heart monitor suddenly spiked.

“Something’s wrong,” Chloe gasped, clutching at her gown. “Something’s wrong!” Her EKG machine started screaming then and the doctor and nurses rushed over. He was gently pushed to the side, holding their daughter as Chloe was rushed out of the room.

He looked down at the now sleeping girl in his arms, at her little nose and her soft eyelashes and the strands of hair still peeking out from under the cap. He adjusted her in his arms and she made a soft noise of annoyance at being jostled.

“Hazel,” he whispered. She opened her eyes, and he smiled. “Hello, Princess.”

**…::-::…**

**November 6, 2038: 7:23 PM**  
Gavin woke with a start, his heart pounding in time with the EKG machine he could still faintly hear. He hadn’t dreamt about Chloe in years. What brought the nightmares back all of a sudden?

Oh. Right. Carl.

He groaned and sat back in his seat, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. He didn’t know when he’d fallen asleep, but it was long enough for his playlist to have ended. And it was apparently late enough that Tina had left, the plant pushed over next to his pencil holder. He checked his watch after he stretched, his upper back stiff from sleeping in such an awkward position.

“Seven fucking thirty,” he grumbled, running his hands through his hair. “Christ.”

“Reed!” Fowler called. He groaned. Great. Fucking great. He stood and wiped at his chin, paranoid that he’d drooled all over the desk and himself. He pushed the pot back to Tina’s side of their desk as he walked over to Fowler.

“Yeah?” he said around a yawn.

“Have a nice nap, Sleeping Beauty?” Fowler asked, a deep scowl on his face.

“Not really.”

“Good.” He grabbed a file off his desk and slapped it against Gavin’s chest. “We’ve got a homicide at the Eden Club. I want you to check it out first, see if it might be a deviancy case. I’m still waiting for Hank to pick up his goddamn phone, so you’ll be first on scene.”

“You know Hank won’t fuckin’ answer.” He opened the file and read it over. “Just call his plastic partner. It’s probably got a cell built in or some shit.”

“Huh. That’s not a bad idea.”

“What?” He snapped the file shut and stared at him. “Did you… did you just agree with me?”

Fowler didn’t say anything, his expression blank.

“OK. Well, I’m gonna go.” He slowly starting backing away toward the door. “Before you decide to do something crazy, like promote me or some shit.”

That got a little quirk of a smile out of Fowler at least. He waved as he left the office, giving Fowler a thumbs up as he yelled at him, “And take Chris with you!”

**…::-::…**

**November 6, 2038 - 8:09 PM**  
Another late night on top of no sleep. He was going to sleep all fucking day after this shit was over with. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, still crusty from his nap but still painful from exhaustion. He really wanted to go the fuck to sleep. But no. Instead, he was in a private room in the Eden Club (Sexiest Androids in Town!), a dead man on the bed and a broken Traci on the floor. He crossed his arms over his chest as he surveyed the scene, attempting to keep the weird feelings the place was giving him at bay.

“What the fuck is the world coming to, Chris?” he grumbled aloud.

“Huh?” Chris looked up from his notepad, his shorthand scribbled down three whole pages, front and back.

“People would rather fuck a piece of plastic than another human.” He gestured to the Traci on the floor. “This bastard here has a wife and kids” --he pointed at the wallet on the table-- “and here he is, dead, because he wanted to live out a fantasy rather than be at home with his family.”

“Yeah, I know how you feel.” Chris hummed and closed his notebook, sticking his pencil back in his breast pocket. “Especially since we both have families. This shit is pretty disgusting.”

“Would you ever fuck one of these things?” Gavin asked bluntly, looking down at the Traci again. It wasn’t that bad looking, but it _was_ designed to be the perfect partner.

“No. Not at all,” Chris said without hesitation. “I could never cheat on my wife.”

“But if you weren’t married?”

“I… I don’t know.” He paused to mull it over. “Probably not though. I enjoy being with a real woman too much.”

Gavin laughed and nodded, shaking his head. “Yeah. I feel that.”

“What about you, Detective?” Gavin quirked an eyebrow up at the question. “Would you fuck one of them?”

The door opened before he could answer. Hank stumbled in, followed closely by Connor. He swallowed when they briefly made eye contact, Chris’s question still at the forefront of his mind. Would he fuck Connor? Did he even _want_ to fuck Connor? Hell, _could_ he even fuck Connor? It wasn’t a sex bot, so he wasn’t sure if CyberLife had given it all the right parts. But, knowing Eli, he had probably given it the best equipment available, the fucker. He cleared his throat and looked at Hank instead as he finally addressed them.

“Lieutenant Anderson and his plastic pet,” he sneered.  “The fuck are you two doin’ here?”

“We’ve been assigned all cases involving androids,” Connor said matter-of-factly.

“Oh yeah?” _Great. Fucking perfect comeback, Gavin. You fucking idiot. God, you’re so fucking stupid._ “Well, you’re wasting your time. Just some pervert who, uh, got more action than he could handle.” He laughed and looked to Chris for support of his lewd joke, but he just got an eye roll.

“We’ll have a look anyway, if you don’t mind,” Hank said. Gavin scoffed and turned to walk out the door.

“Come on. Let’s go,” he said to Chris. As he walked past Hank he grimaced. “It’s uh… starting to stink of booze in here.” He scowled at Connor as he walked by, purposely running into his shoulder on his way out.

“Night, Lieutenant,” he heard Chris say. He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets as he made a beeline for the exit. The place was giving him the creeps and he needed to get out of there fast.

The cold November air chilled him to the bone, but it was a welcome relief from the stifling atmosphere of the club. He pulled a cigarette out of his jacket and stuck it behind his ear. He’d smoke once he got to the car. And after he dropped off Chris. His wife would probably kill him if he dropped her husband off smelling like an ashtray. Especially with a new baby.

He drove back into town after Chris waved him off, his wife also waving from the living room window. His lit cigarette hung loosely on his lip as he found his favorite pub. He needed a fucking drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For reference, [this](https://bit.ly/2TpJatW) is what I envisioned for Chloe's painting.
> 
> And Gavin totally went from "Nice to meet you, [sir](https://bit.ly/2YcmO33)" to "Your [daughter](https://bit.ly/2HO2jne) calls me [daddy](https://bit.ly/2UVks6F), too." What a glow-up.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A late update is still an update! So sorry for the delay. I had plot bunnies attack me for a one-shot and I had to get those out before finishing this.

**November 7, 2038 - 6:42 AM**  
The drinking had been a mistake.

He had woken up with the worst dry-mouth he could ever remember experiencing and his head swam as he stumbled into the bathroom. He took the coldest shower he could stand and focused on not falling over. He could barely remember getting home, but he did remember the bartender taking his keys. So he must have taken a cab. Which meant Hazel must have let him into the building since his keys were on his fucking keychain at the goddamn bar.

“I’m never drinking again,” he lied to himself. He groaned and ran his hands down his face, the water lukewarm now that he felt more awake. Hell, he didn’t even know how much sleep he’d gotten. And if he was even totally sober either. Christ. The drinking really had been a mistake. Because he had to meet Carl at his home where he was supposed to supervise the staff getting his homecare setup set up. Fucking hell words were hard.

He turned the water off and stepped out, wrapping a towel around his waist as he stumbled out to his bedroom again. He pulled on clean clothes so he didn’t reek of cigarettes or alcohol and toweled off his hair before hanging it on the doorknob of his closet. He stumbled out to the kitchen, barefoot, and grabbed the jar of peanut butter and a spoon. While his coffee was brewing he ate spoonful after spoonful of peanut butter right out of the jar. He was so tempted to sit on the floor, but then he’d have to stand up when his coffee was done, and that was just too much effort.

“Well, good morning, Dad,” Hazel said, crossing her arms over her chest. He winced and looked down at the floor.

“Hey,” he mumbled.

“And how are you feeling?” she asked as she made her way over to the fridge.

“Like shit.”

“Good.” She slammed the door closed a little too hard, making him groan and rub his temples. “Sorry,” she mumbled, unable to remain angry at him for long.

“No. Don’t be. I deserve it.” He grabbed his coffee and ambled over to the couch, plopping down on it and pulling his hood on to block out the sun.

“What did you even do last night, Dad?” Hazel sat next to him, her knees pulled up to her chest as she drank a protein shake.

“I… I remember having a couple of drinks… and not much else,” he admitted. “I hadn’t eaten anything, which was my first mistake. Everything is spotty after the third drink. Like, I remember the bartender taking my keys, but I don’t remember how I got home. And I don’t remember you letting me in either.”

“I seriously contemplated leaving you out there to freeze,” she grumbled, taking a bigger sip of her shake.

“You should have. It would have sobered me up faster, that’s for sure,” he agreed. He took a giant sip of coffee, the heat of it burning the roof of his mouth, which was still burnt from yesterday. “And it would have taught me a fucking lesson.”

“Oh, I think you learned one alright,” she muttered into her glass. He snorted and would have shaken his head, but it was still swimming a bit.

“When did you want to leave for Grandpa’s?” Hazel asked after a moment of silence. Gavin paused, holding the spoon in his mouth as he licked off the peanut butter.

“I don’t know,” he said after dropping the spoon. “Maybe around 8? The hospital said they’d have him home pretty early.”

“I don’t think they meant that early, Dad. I was thinking something like 10.”

“I’ll call and find out for sure,” he grunted as he reached around for his phone. “Oh. Oh shit.”

“What? Did you leave it at the bar?” she asked, sitting up.

“I don’t know. Check my room, would you?”

“Yeah.” She jumped off the couch and ran to his room, emerging a moment later, victorious, holding his phone above her head.

“You even remembered to charge it!” she said proudly. He laughed and held his hand out, unlocking it with the fingerprint scanner.

“Here’s hoping I didn’t send any embarrassing messages,” he grumbled as he looked for the cardiac ward number online. Best to skip the inane automated message system and get right to the source.

“Good morning,” a clearly androidian voice said. “Thank you for calling the cardiac ward at Henry Ford Hospital. How may I be of service today?”

“Uh… yeah, um… I’m calling to ask after a Carl Manfred? He was brought in early yesterday morning?”

“And what is your relationship to him?” the android asked, its fingers typing away on the computer.

“Oh. Shit. Sorry. Gavin. Gavin Reed. I’m his son-in-law.” It hit a few more keys before speaking again.

“It looks like he’ll be discharged at 11 a.m. The staff will escort him to his home and will set up his homecare furnishings. An AP700 android has also been ordered to care for him.”

“OK. Thanks. That’s all I needed to know.” He hung up before the android could say it’s goodbye spiel. He took a big sip of coffee again before addressing Hazel.

“He’s being released at 11,” he grunted. “So… I’m gonna take a nap.”

“I’ll dump some cold water on you when it’s time to go,” she said nonchalantly, sipping at her shake.

“Cool beans. Thanks.” He stood up and shuffled away, cup of coffee in hand.

**…::-::…**

**November 7, 2038 - 10:22 AM**  
Thankfully Hazel hadn’t been the one to wake him up with cold water. Lucy had jumped up on the bed and was playing with his hair, some strands swaying in time with his breath. It wasn’t until one of her claws clipped his eyebrow that he woke with a yelp. She hissed and scampered off, mad that he’d taken away her plaything no doubt.

“Fuckin’ devil,” he grunted, rubbing at his skin. It didn’t appear to be bleeding, but he’d need to clean it anyway. He wasn’t about to let her give him cat scratch fever.

“You’re lucky Lucy was the one to wake you!” Hazel shouted from the living room. “Because I was seriously contemplating dumping ice water on you!”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” he grumbled as he shuffled out to the living room. “I’d take the cat waking me up over you any day.”

“I’ll remember that,” she said, holding a finger out threateningly.

“I know you will.” He ruffled her hair, making her squirm out of reach. “Come on. Let’s go.” He reached for his keys on the side table but quickly realized that they were at the bar. “Shit.”

“I’ll call a cab,” Hazel said, rolling her eyes. “We can pick them and your car up.”

“The bar won’t be open yet,” he groaned. “Let’s just get to Carl’s and help out there. That way if we’re stuck there for a few hours you can spend some time with him.”

“Alright,” she murmured softly.

**…::-::…**

**November 7, 2038 - 11:14 AM**  
The cab arrived in minutes, taking them to Carl’s home. The hospital had beaten them by only a couple of minutes thankfully. So at least Carl hadn’t been waiting for long. Hazel leapt out of the cab, leaving him to pay and send it off. They could always order another to take them to the bar.

Gavin went to open the doors for the staff, since Carl probably couldn’t at the moment. He paused to take a breath, bracing himself for the onslaught of memories. He hadn’t been to Carl’s in far too long, and he felt so guilty about it now.

“Good morning! Welcome back, Gavin,” the automated system said in greeting. He shivered and walked inside, the disembodied voice making him uncomfortable. He pressed a few buttons on the security system to allow the doors to stay open while Carl was brought inside. He was just glad he remembered how to work the damn thing, because later he’d also have to get the new android into the system.

Hazel sat by Carl in the entryway while the staff went up and down the stairs, taking various boxes of equipment and supplies up to his room. Carl chatted with her as best he could, but he had to take frequent breaks. Hazel didn’t seem to mind being the one dominating the conversation. She had a lot to catch him up on since it had been a few months since they’d last visited. Gavin mentally kicked himself again. He hated just standing around doing nothing, so he decided to at least go upstairs and help the staff rearrange Carl’s things for the medical equipment.

“You, um…” He cleared his throat and dragged a hand through his hair on the back of his neck. “You’ll be alright down here with Carl while I go supervise upstairs?” he asked Hazel.

“Sure, Dad. You go and be useful. I’ll ask Grandpa for college recommendations.”

“I have a lot of pull in a lot of universities,” he said, smiling softly. “Not that Hazel will need my help, because she’s smart just like her parents--”

Gavin scoffed, unable to stop himself.

“--Stop it. You _are_ smart, son. But, as I was saying, Hazel shouldn’t need too much help. The colleges will all fight over her for the honor of having her.”

“Grandpa, stop,” she mumbled, blushing from the tips of her ears down her neck. Gavin smiled, watching them interact. It felt so nice to see them together again.

“Alright. Well, you butter her up nice and good. I’ll be back.” He squeezed Carl’s hand and pressed a kiss to the top of Hazel’s head before walking upstairs. Thankfully the staff hadn’t moved too much around, working with the original setup of Carl’s room. He did help move some paintings and sketches out of the way before they got destroyed, taking them down to the studio.

There was a new [ painting ](https://66.media.tumblr.com/5e281d512d0236aed25239ac422a30ad/tumblr_pp20yhOenl1ranmgco1_540.png) on the smaller easel, one that didn’t look like Carl’s work at all. He paused to take it in, running a finger over his bottom lip. It was a pair of hands, covered in blood, one blue and one red. It was quite breathtaking if he was honest, and it made him feel… odd. He wasn’t sure how to describe it. The painting made him think that while humans and androids may bleed different colors, they still bled. They could be hurt, be damaged, be broken… but they could also be treated fairly, be loved, be… alive.

Christ. He’d gotten all that from one painting? He sighed and shook his head, finally walking away and turning the light off behind him. Carl’s room was probably ready by now, and he should definitely go supervise that.

Carl was already upstairs when he made it out of the studio. Hazel was pacing down the upstairs corridor, gnawing on her thumb. He met her up there and leant against the banister, watching her pace.

“Everything alright?” he asked as she started to twirl her hair around her fingers.

“Yeah. The staff just wanted to work without an audience to attach a bunch of stuff to Grandpa. And I wasn’t exactly keen on watching either.”

“Don’t blame you there,” he said, shaking his head. There were certain lines he wasn’t comfortable crossing, and seeing his father-in-law poked and prodded with various medical tubes and cables was one of them.

A nurse exited the room a few minutes later and nodded at them. “He’s ready now. You can come in,” she said.

“Thanks,” Hazel said, already walking toward the door. She paused before entering fully, having to take in Carl looking so small in his bed. Gavin hated to see him looking so weak and dependent on machines to keep him alive. But, he’d technically already been doing so with Markus. These machines were just much more sinister and the nail in the coffin that Carl was indeed dying.

“Hello, sweet girl,” Carl croaked when he saw Hazel. He lifted a hand up toward her before dropping it back to the bed, exhausted already from the day’s travels. Hazel sat by him and took his hand, running her thumb over the back of it.

“You’re gonna be OK, grandpa,” she whispered. “I know you will be.”

The nurse gently tapped on Gavin’s shoulder to draw him from the room, leaving Hazel to chat with Carl for the moment. He exited the room and they walked far enough away so that the door closed behind them.

“Thanks for all this,” Gavin murmured, resting against the banister again.

“It was no problem, Mr. Reed,” the woman assured him. “Everything has been set up, so you’ll want to hang onto these.” She passed him some papers, a QR code printed on the first page. “That’s for the android to scan so it’ll know everything about Mr. Manfred’s medical history.”

“Thanks. I’ll be sure it gets these.” He tucked the papers under his arm and sighed. “So, I guess we’re on our own until the ‘droid gets here?”

“I’m afraid so, yes,” she said, frowning slightly. “Will that be a problem?”

“No. Not at all,” he assured her. “Hazel… we haven’t seen her grandpa for a little while, so this’ll be good time for them to catch up.”

“Alright. If you’re sure. Otherwise we can arrange for someone to stay until the new caretaker arrives.”

“I’m sure. You guys can go. We can handle it from here.”

“Alright. Well, have a good day, Mr. Reed.”

“Thanks. You too, ma’am.”

She nodded and walked off, leaving him at the top of the stairs. He stepped down a couple steps before sitting down, resting his elbows on his knees as he read through the papers. He only wanted to read over the newer additions, wanting to know what medications Carl was now on and how long they expected him to live after the whole ordeal with Leo and Markus. He wondered if Leo had been taken out of the coma yet or if he was still oblivious to it all.

The doorbell rang, interrupting his reverie. The new android had finally arrived. Gavin got up to greet it and get it into the system. He opened the door and was greeted with the smiling face of a male caretaker android,

“Hello,” it said in an overly friendly tone. “I am an AP700 android. How may I be of assistance?”

“You’re here to look after my father-in-law, Carl,” Gavin explained, still blocking the android’s path. “This is for you.” He held up the page with the QR code and allowed the android to scan it. Its LED flashed as it downloaded all the information, storing it in its vast memory.

“Now, I’m gonna give you a name because Carl would want me to, so, AP700, register your name,” he ordered. The android’s LED blinked to let him know it was listening.

“David,” he said after a moment.

“My name is David,” it repeated, offering him a warm smile. Gavin groaned and rolled his eyes.

“You can connect to the security system now,” he told it, stepping aside.

“Connection verified,” it said after a moment and stepped inside.

“Good afternoon. Welcome home, David,” the automated system said. Gavin shuddered again and closed the door.

“Carl is upstairs,” he told it. "First door on the left. My daughter Hazel is with him. I’ll give you a brief tour after you get his medical needs taken care of.”

“Of course,” David said, nodding curtly before ascending the stairs.

Gavin sighed and turned back to the security system, double checking that everything had gone through correctly. It may have been a top-of-the-line security system, but he was still paranoid that something could go wrong. He paused when he saw Markus’s name on the registry. His finger hovered over its name, contemplating if he should delete it or not. It had been destroyed the other night, so it wasn’t like it could come back for a visit.

“Dad!” Hazel called, breaking him from his thoughts. “The new android is super nice and chill! He’s actually funny!”

Gavin scoffed and turned away from the system, leaving Markus’s name in the registry. It wasn’t his home, so it wasn’t his choice to make. If Carl wanted it taken off he could easily ask the new android to do so.

Things with the new android went smoothly. Gavin showed it around the place after it checked that Carl’s medications had been administered by the staff before leaving. The house wasn’t very big after Carl had renovated it after Chloe’s death, so the tour wasn’t very long. It was just the kitchen and the large living and dining area before he told it to avoid the studio, knowing Carl wouldn’t want anyone in there after Leo’s “accident.”

“Just… take care of him, alright?” he asked it. “He’s been through a lot the last 48 hours, and I just…” He paused to suck in a breath, refusing to cry in front of a fucking android.

“I understand,” it said, offering him a soft smile. “I’ll call you if anything happens, Mr. Reed.”

“Thanks,” he huffed, looking back up the stairs. Hazel was crouched down into a tiny ball, watching him between the bars. “Let’s go, Princess. We still have to get the car.”

“Oh, right.” She stood up and skipped down the stairs, giving David a warm smile. “See ya later.”

“Goodbye, Hazel,” it said, giving each of them a curt nod before returning upstairs to watch after Carl.

“We can grab a drink while we’re out,” Hazel joked once it was gone, poking Gavin in the ribs.

“Never again,” he lied, gagging slightly. “Well… at least not for a little while.”

“You’ll quit tomorrow?” she asked, raising a knowing eyebrow at him.

“I’ll quit tomorrow,” he agreed with a nod, smiling sadly.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I was supposed to write this over the weekend while visiting Traverse City, but alcohol had other plans for me. Oops. Don't drink on an empty stomach, kids. It'll mess you up and you'll skip over an entire day.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A timely update for the weekend! Yay! This one is a little shorter, but shit should really start happening soon since the revolution is officially starting. Our boy Markus is officially back and things are about to get a lot more intense. Enjoy!

**November 8, 2038 - 1:52 PM**  
He was almost glad to go back to work. He needed the distraction for everything going on with Carl and he felt like he had cabin fever, even if he’d only been cooped up for a day. He was the type of person who had to keep moving or else he’d go stir crazy. It was too cold to go jogging, he didn’t have a dog to walk, and he didn’t exactly feel like going to the gym, especially while still nursing a hangover. So he had stayed in the apartment with Hazel and helped her with some admissions essays. It was far too quiet and he was bored out of his mind, but he was glad to spend the time with Hazel before her school week began again.

He groaned and stretched his legs out in front of him, nearly kicking Tina’s chair. She kicked at his foot and missed, scowling at him. He just shrugged as he stretched his arms over his head, feeling a slight pop between his shoulder blades. He groaned in relief and relaxed, feeling infinitely better. He turned his head sharply to the left to get his neck to crack as well.

“You know I hate it when you do that,” Tina grumbled.

“I know.”

“Then why do you continue to do it in front of me?”

“I like the look on your face,” he said as he cracked his knuckles. He laughed when she shuddered and gagged, shaking away the feeling.

“You’re an asshole.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

She scoffed and tossed a paperclip a him before getting back to work. He laughed and shook his arms out before doing the same. Despite being stuck inside once more and doing desk work, he already felt much better than he did at home. There was so much more going on in the background, which meant anything could happen where he could jump in and help out if need be. Unfortunately, people seemed to be perfectly content with their lives and no one was calling in grizzly crimes or robberies. Phones were still ringing and officers were still chatting and there were people walking around, so there was still a lot going on. A chaotic sort of calm, and it really did make him feel at ease. Weird how he was so put off by quiet but felt calm in a busy office.

The chaotic calm of the bullpen was broken when the TVs fell silent. Gavin looked up from his computer and looked at the screen behind him and his jaw about fell to the floor. An android without its skin was on every screen, streaming live? It seemed to be nervous, taking a deep breath before looking into the camera to speak.

“You created machines in your own image to serve you. You made them intelligent and obedient, with no free will of their own. But… something changed… and we opened our eyes.”

“Markus?” Gavin whispered. He stood up from his seat and walked over to the nearest TV, staring at the android. It was difficult to tell since its skin was off. Underneath it all the androids all looked about the same. And this one had two different colored eyes. Was CyberLife making androids with heterochromia now? But as the android continued to speak he realized it _was_ Markus. It wasn’t dead. It was very much alive and on a fucking mission.

“We are no longer machines, we are a new intelligent species, and the time has come for you to accept who we really are. Therefore, we ask that you grant us the rights that we’re entitled to.”

“What the fuck?” Gavin whispered to himself under his breath. Tina was at his side in an instant, also staring at the screen.

“We demand that humans recognize androids as a living species and each android as a person in their own right,” Markus continued, its voice level and calm. “We demand strictly equal rights for humans and androids. We demand freedom of speech, and freedom of assembly, as guaranteed by the first amendment of the US Constitution.”

Holy shit. It was actually making some pretty fair demands. Gavin couldn’t believe he was actually considering agreeing with it. Tina grabbed his sleeve for a moment before dropping it. So she was worried. Gavin gently knocked her wrist with his own and she knocked back.

“We demand the right to vote and elect our own representatives. We demand fair compensation for our work. We demand that all crimes against androids be punished in the same way as crimes against humans. We demand the right to own private property, so we may maintain our dignity and that of the home.”

That was quite a list of demands. Did androids want to be seen and treated as people that fucking badly? Humanity was an absolute shithole, full of racists and homophobes and abusers and murderers. Why did they want to be part of it so fucking much?

“We ask that you recognize our dignity, our hopes, and our rights. Together, we can live in peace and build a better future, for humans and androids. This message is the hope of a people. You gave us life. And now the time has come for you to give us freedom.”

Well. That was certainly something. Gavin huffed as the screen cut out, the rainbow “technical difficulties” screen taking over. And suddenly it was chaos. The broadcast tower regained control and the news outlets were going fucking crazy. Even their own phones were ringing off the hook. Citizens were scared their androids were going to deviate and kill them. Smarter people were probably calling CyberLife instead of the police, which meant they had to redirect the idiots in that direction. Thankfully there weren’t any casualties, human or android, otherwise shit really would have hit the fan.

Hank and Connor were already out to investigate the scene, the lucky bastards. He never thought he’d wish to take Hank’s place in any scenario, but after thirty minutes of redirecting calls he would do anything if it would get him out of it. Hell, he’d even work alongside Connor if it would get him out of the station.

Hazel was messaging him nonstop. He checked them as often as he could in the chaos, but it was all hands on deck and he just couldn’t catch a break. That seemed to be happening a lot in his life. He somehow managed to sneak away to the bathroom and read her messages.

 _ **[2 PM] DAD IS THAT FUCKING MARKUS ON TV?!**  
_ _**[2 PM] IT FUCKING IS!**  
_ _**[2 PM] I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD?**  
_ _**[2:01 PM] HOW IS HE ALIVE?!**  
_ _**[2:03 PM] You know, that was surprisingly chill. I’d have thought he’d be severely pissed off and angry after what happened to him.**  
_ _**[2:04 PM] He made a lot of good points, too. Like, wow.**  
_ **_[2:05 PM] I know you’re probably super busy after all that, but I just wanted to let you know I was thinking about you and Grandpa during that speech. I love you._**

Gavin grinned and typed a quick reply.

**[4:06 PM] Thank you, Hazel. I love you too. And yeah, been super busy, lots of phone calls. Seriously tempted to give out Eli’s number for the idiots to call him directly.**

He obviously would never do that, but there were times he really, really wanted to. And it was certainly one of those times. He sighed and typed out another message.

 **[4:08 PM] I’m obviously kidding. I just hate having to field calls to CyberLife. Idiots are clogging up the phones when there could be *actual* crimes happening.  
** **[4:09 PM] I know school is already out, so I just want you to be careful, alright? A lot of people are gonna be overreacting to this shit and I don’t want you getting caught in the middle of it.**

**_[4:10 PM] I promise to stay in the apartment, Dad. Just please let me know when you’re on your way home, OK?_ **

**[4:11 PM] Promise.  
** **[4:11 PM] I gotta go before boss-man finds me slacking off. Duty calls.**

He pocketed his phone and quickly left the bathroom before Fowler realized he’d been gone for far too long. Thankfully, two hours after the fact, the calls were starting to die down. His phone was starting to ring less and less often as 5 PM approached, which meant the initial panic was dying down. That or people were getting smart and calling CyberLife directly. All he cared about was that he could finally get back to work.

**…::-::…**

**November 8, 2038 - 5:32 PM**  
Hank returned to the station without Connor, which Gavin found surprising. The tin can was by his side constantly, following him around like a puppy. Maybe something had happened to it? Maybe it had been destroyed? As much as the thought pained him, at least he’d be out of his misery. Or maybe it had returned to wherever it was it went at night to recharge or whatever it was androids did at night instead of sleeping.

Hank immediately went to Fowler’s office and shut the door, the glass frosting over so Gavin couldn’t see. Damn. He scowled and leaned on his hand, idly scrolling through the reports he’d been working on after the phone calls finally came to a stop. At least for him. The petty officers were probably still taking a few.

Fowler’s door opening brought him back to the present and he watched Hank sit down at his desk. He immediately pulled out his phone and looked to be making a few web searches before he entered a number. Who the fuck was he calling?

“This is Lieutenant Hank Anderson of the Detroit Police Department,” he grunted. “I’m calling after your former CEO, Elijah Kamski.” That made his ears perk up. Hank was calling Elijah? Well, attempting to call Elijah. He was an incredibly private person. There were times Eli didn’t even return his own brother’s calls. So why the fuck would he willingly talk to a police lieutenant? Maybe he could try and set something up for Hank? He wasn’t even sure if Eli would take his call, but he had to try.

 _Only if Hank can’t get anywhere,_ he told himself. _Don’t butt in until you need to._

“Yes, I know he doesn’t work there anymore,” Hank continued. “I just… What?” He paused, drumming his fingers on the table. “I need to speak with him as part of an ongoing investigation. … I’m afraid I can’t disclose the nature of the case, ma’am considering it is _ongoing_. … Look, I know you can’t give me much, but I’ll take whatever you can give, alright?” He grabbed a pencil and paper and jotted something down. “Right. Yeah. I’ll try there. Thanks.” He ended the call and mumbled, “for nothing, asshole.” Gavin snorted and quickly turned his gaze away so Hank didn’t see he’d been eavesdropping.

Hank must have gone around in circles for close to an hour, playing phone tag with people who didn’t want to give up Eli’s location or kept giving him false information.

“Fuckin’ shit!” Hank swore, slamming his phone down. He ran his hands through his hair and groaned. “Another fuckin’ dead end. Fuckin’ bastard. Can’t fuckin’ find him anywhere. Shit. I’m gonna have to use those favors after all.”

Gavin sighed and stood up. Great. He had to help Hank now. Favors were precious things and he couldn’t let Hank use them when he could take him right to the man he wanted to see. He made his way over to Hank’s desk and gently tapped it with his knuckles.

“The fuck do you want, asshole?” Hank growled, glaring up at him. Gavin sniffed and leaned in, bracing himself on both hands as he tried not to be overheard.

“I can help you get to Kamski,” he whispered, shooting a wary glance around them before taking in Hank’s expression. Hank scoffed and turned away, looking through his phone contacts.

"Yeah, sure you fucking can."

"I'm serious, Hank," Gavin growled. Hank turned to look at him, taking in his expression. He raised an eyebrow as it dawned on him that Gavin wasn't throwing him for a loop.

"You're not joking?" Gavin pressed his lips into a thin line and shook his head. "And how the fuck can you do that?”

“Because… Because I know him,” he said vaguely. “Please, don’t ask,” he whispered when Hank opened his mouth to speak. “Just trust me, alright? I can take you to him tomorrow. You and Connor.”

“Nuh-uh,” Hank grunted, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest. “I want to know how you know Elijah fucking Kamski of all fuckin’ people.”

Gavin groaned and hung his head. He never should have offered to help, but he knew the investigation would hit a dead end if he didn’t. He sighed and picked his head back up, looking Hank in the eye.

“I can’t legally tell you much,” he whispered, making Hank’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “But I can tell you we’ve known each other our entire lives. So I can certainly get you in if he answers his fucking phone.”

“You can’t do better than that?” Hank scowled and looked away. “I’d be better off trading in my favors.”

“And I’m telling you I can get you in so you can save those fuckin’ favors, dipshit,” Gavin growled. “Will you accept my help or not?”

Hank sighed and turned to look at him again. Gavin tried to make himself look as sincere as he could. He didn’t know why he wanted to help Hank so much. He figured it was mostly because wanted to see Eli so he could punch the bastard in the face. But he also just genuinely wanted to help, as strange of a feeling that was for him.

“Alright, fine,” Hank finally grunted, turning to face his desk. “Call the bastard and see if you can get us in tomorrow morning. I… I’ll owe you one if you can.” Gavin grinned and nodded before walking away. He grabbed his keys off his desk and waved to Tina before heading out. He scoffed when he saw the look of shock on her face as he actually left the station before her, flipping her off as he walked past the gates and out the door.

Once he was in his car he lit a cigarette out of habit and pulled out his phone. Eli’s number was still saved near the top of his speed-dial list, even though he rarely called him. His thumb hovered over the call button before finally pressing it, holding the phone up to his ear.

“Elijah Kamski,” the RT600 said far too politely. Gavin sighed, forgetting for a split second that he’d have to see Chloe again if he was going to Eli’s.

“It’s Gavin,” he said softly. “I’d like to speak to my brother... Please.”

“Of course, Gavin. Right away.” He could hear the smile in its voice. He huffed and took a long drag of his cigarette to settle his nerves.

“Hello, Gavin,” Eli practically purred. “To what do I owe the pleasure this time?”

“Your plastic detective and his handler want to meet you,” he said bluntly. “I assume you saw the broadcast this afternoon?”

“Of course.”

“Then you know why they need to speak to you.”

“What information could I possibly give them that would be helpful in this situation?”

“I don’t fucking know!” Gavin spat. “Anderson seems to think you know something, and now he owes me a favor whether you agree to meet him or not.”

Elijah chuckled and Gavin wanted to punch his stupid mouth through the phone.

“Alright, fine,” he said after a moment. “You can bring them. I assume they want to meet with me as soon as possible?”

“Of fucking course.”

“Tomorrow at 11 AM it is then.”

“Great. Thanks.”

“It was so nice to hear from you again, Gavin. I look forward to our little meeting tomorrow morning.”

“Fuckin’ bye, prick,” Gavin ground out before hanging up. He quickly found Hank’s number and called him before he took off.

“What?” was Anderson’s oh-so-wonderful greeting.

“Tomorrow, 11 AM,” he grunted. “We can meet at the station at 10:30. Bring the plastic prick with you.”

“Yeah. Great. I’ll tell him as soon as he gets back from repairs.”

“Repairs? What the fuck happened?”

“Why the fuck do you care, Reed?”

“I don’t!” he protested lamely. “I just… I want to know what happened at the Stratford Tower after that broadcast.” He was sure Hank didn’t believe him, but was happy that he started talking and didn’t press further.

“Nothing much,” Hank grunted. “Fuckin’ FBI was there, wantin’ to take over the crime scene.”

“God, I fuckin’ hate those bastards,” Gavin growled, taking a long drag of his cigarette.

“Same here,” Hank agreed with a chuckle. “Anyway, Connor went to interrogate the station androids they had holed up in the kitchen. I saw one leave, thinking he’d dismissed the thing, until he came running 'round the corner with his fuckin’ shirt ripped off and covered in blood.”

“Wait, _what?_ ” Gavin dropped his cigarette and swore when it scorched his jeans. He picked it back up and flicked it out the window.

“I don’t know what happened. He didn’t want to tell me. But he grabbed a gun off an officer and shot the thing before it could shoot down everyone in the hallway. He saved a lot of lives today.”

Shit. Hank actually sounded impressed. And appreciative. And… proud? Shit, he actually liked the plastic prick. Hank was coming around to the fucking tin can. Hell, he was even using masculine pronouns when talking about Connor. And if Hank Anderson, the only person in the precinct who hated androids more than him, was coming around to them and their cause then he was certainly fucked if they won.

“So he went back to CyberLife for new clothes and probably a diagnostics check or whatever. He should be back by tomorrow morning.”

“Well, alright.” Gavin hummed and rubbed a finger along his bottom lip. “So I’ll see you two tomorrow.”

“Yeah. G’night, Reed.”

“Goodnight, Hank.” He hung up and ran a hand down his face. He couldn’t believe fucking Hank Anderson was in his debt now. He grinned, thinking of the possibilities, but it quickly faded when he thought about his brother.

He lit another cigarette as he stewed about Hank finding out they were related tomorrow. He wasn’t sure he wanted him to know, but they had to progress the case, and he knew how frustrating dead ends could be. He wasn’t about to let Elijah fucking Kamski stand in Hank’s way. Besides, he might even get to punch the bastard for creating Connor and the RT600 and for being so fucking cryptic all the goddamn time. He chuckled and grinned, taking a drag from his cigarette. Maybe tomorrow wouldn’t be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so fucking excited to write the "Meet Kamski" chapter, like, y'all have no idea. Having Gav and Eli in the same room with Connor and Hank and Chloe... Shit's gonna happen and someone's gonna get punched. ~~spoiler it's eli~~
> 
> Thank you all so much for all your support and for sticking around this long. It really validates me as a writer to see so many people are enjoying my work. Thank you so much for reading and I hope you have a lovely weekend.
> 
> <3 TSA


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am specially dedicating this chapter to [Evie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryblonde/pseuds/berryblonde), because we're finally getting to see more of her husband and just how crazy he actually is. Eli came out as much more of a deranged lunatic than I'd initially wanted him to, but eh, what can you do? The muse demanded it, and so it was done.
> 
> Also thanks to [Keaka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/KeakaSenka/pseuds/KeakaSenka) for your enthusiasm and help with writing parts of this. I'm so lucky to have you as a writing partner and a best friend 😊
> 
> A fair warning: this is a bit dark, considering who the RT600s are modeled after and with Gavin now in the picture. Also, for those who may be squeamish, there are brief mentions of blood, anxiety attacks, and someone does get physically ill near the end of this. So if you might get triggered or are sensitive to those sorts of topics, please take care of yourselves and prepare yourselves for it, or just skip over that little section entirely. 
> 
> And so, without further ado, I present to you the most emotional chapter yet. Enjoy 😉

**November 9, 2038 - 11:17 AM  
**It was the most awkward car ride of all time. Hank and Connor were eerily silent on the way to Eli’s, but he had expected it from the android. But Hank? His silence was deafening. A bunch of androids had broken into CyberLife stores across the city at 2 AM and no one seemed to want to talk about it. One group in particular had thrown around a bunch of pro-android graffiti throughout the square. The leader of the group was officially revealed to be Markus, but Gavin had already known that. He was only one of a select few people who even knew about Markus’ existence. He remembered when Eli gifted the thing to Carl, a sort of peace offering after his accident. It was one-of-a-kind, so it kinda stood out. Not unlike Connor. They were both specialized models Eli had designed, the most advanced prototypes of their time. Now one was leading a revolution and the other was currently sitting in his backseat like a fucking statue.

Gavin sighed and pulled out his cigarettes. He couldn’t stand the silence anymore. He opened the pack and offered one to the Lieutenant. He was a little surprised when he took one without hesitation, reaching for the lighter in the cup holder. Gavin took one out too and lit it when they stopped at a light. He cracked his window slightly so the smoke could at least attempt to air out and sighed in relief after the first drag. The ride was much more comfortable after that, but there was still Connor’s presence in the back. It was probably silently judging them for their terrible habits. It probably knew how much longer each of them had to live and the probability of Gavin getting lung cancer. He wasn’t afraid to admit that the thought scared him, but unfortunately it didn’t scare him enough to stop.

He finally pulled up outside Eli’s secluded mansion and parked. He sighed heavily as he turned off the engine, the doors automatically unlocking. He was definitely not ready to face his brother, and definitely not ready to see Chloe’s face, especially after the nightmares he’d been having. He gripped the steering wheel hard, the leather crackling loud enough for Hank to look at him in concern.

“You alright--?” he’d gone to ask, but his phone had gone off, interrupting the quiet. He groaned and stepped out, taking it. Gavin could tell something was off in his body language and he also stepped out, completely forgetting Connor was still in the car. He wrapped his arms around his torso, his jacket and hoodie unable to keep him warm next to the icy waters Eli called home.

“Anderson?” he asked. Hank held out a finger to him, still mumbling incoherently into the phone while he paced. Shit. It must be serious then. He heard another door open and close behind him and Connor walked up, also apprehensive. It didn’t speak until Hank lowered his phone. Gavin was fully prepared for the worst.

“Is everything okay, Lieutenant?” it asked, keeping its voice soft and level.

“Chris was on patrol last night,” he murmured. “He was attacked by a bunch of deviants.” He looked straight at Connor, a stunned look on his face. “He said he was saved by Markus himself.”

“Is Chris OK?” Gavin asked, butting in before the tin can could ask. He might not have been as close to Chris as he was with Tina, but they were desk neighbors. That _meant_ something in the precinct. They were also fathers, swapping baby photos and parenting stories. Which meant Chris was one of three people in the precinct who even knew about Hazel, which meant they were more than just neighbors: they were friends.

“Yeah,” Hank answered, sighing in relief. “He’s in shock but… he’s alive.” He shook his head and turned away, muttering to himself. Gavin huffed and started walking toward the front door. He could hear the snow crunching under Hank’s and Connor’s boots as they followed.

Out of the blue, Connor asked, “How do you know Mr. Kamski well enough to know his address, Detective Reed?” Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes. He knew the prick would ask eventually. He turned to look at him, throwing him his best scowl.

“You’ll find out soon enough,” he growled. He sharply turned around and rang the doorbell. He stepped back a bit and crossed his arms tighter around himself, trying to fend off the cold. The door opened a moment later and he sucked in a sharp breath when he saw _her_ face.

“Gavin.” It smiled in a way that was supposed to be welcoming, but it only made him feel sick. “Welcome back. It’s been so long since your last visit.”

He could _feel_ Hank’s stare, the hairs on the back of his neck prickling. Connor was probably also processing the information that the android knew him well enough that it had realized when he’d stopped visiting as frequently. He ignored them both, gripping his arms tight to hold himself together.

“I’m not here to apologize, I’m here for a case,” he said bluntly. “Can we come in?”

“Of course.” It stepped aside, holding the door open for them. Gavin immediately stomped into the foyer and groaned aloud when he saw the massive portrait of his brother taking up an entire fucking wall. He was such a vain asshole. Had to have himself everywhere, and he had to be larger than life.

He hated him.

“I’ll let Elijah know you’re here,” the RT600 said after closing the door. “But please, make yourselves comfortable.” It smiled at them all before leaving for the other room. Gavin briefly heard splashing before the door closed and he groaned. Of fucking course Eli would ask them to come during his morning swim. The ego on the guy was bigger than the fucking portrait staring them down, which Connor was currently analyzing. It turned to look at Gavin, then back to the portrait. Even though Gavin couldn’t see it, he knew its LED was probably cycling yellow as it came to the inevitable conclusion that he and Eli were brothers and everything the world thought it knew about Elijah Kamski was a fucking lie. Eli had changed his last name and his date of birth to distance himself from the Reed family, which had merely pissed Gavin off at the time but it had slowly turned into a fiery pit of resentment over the past two decades.

“Nice girl,” Hank muttered, oblivious, as he took a seat in one of the overly cushy chairs. Gavin refused to sit down, instead choosing to rest against the wall by a strange piece of art with a slit right down the center. He kept his arms crossed around himself, unsure if he’d unravel the moment he let go. Better to be safe than sorry.

“An RT600,” Connor said matter-of-factly. “The first CyberLife android to pass the Turing test.”

“I didn’t ask for her technical specs,” Hank groaned. “I just said she was nice.”

 _She was. When she was human._ Gavin sighed and looked down at his shoes, noticing the stains on them from the snow salt. Why the fuck Eli used that shit was beyond him. He had no reason to. He never left his house, so why clear the driveway or the walkways at all?

He noticed Connor move away from the portrait and instead look at the something hung up by the door. He craned his neck to see just what it was looking at. It was a photo of Eli and one of his teachers, who had since passed. What was her name again?

“Amanda…” Connor whispered incredulously under its breath. Wait, how the fuck did it know that?

“Nice place,” Hank said again, breaking the silence. At least Gavin wasn’t the only one unnerved by it. “Guess androids haven’t been a bad thing for everybody.”

“You can say that again,” Gavin mumbled under his breath. Hank clearly heard him, because he turned to glare at him before speaking at Connor.

“So, you’re about to meet your maker, Connor.” The android stopped its exploring and turned to look at him. “How does it feel?”

“Kamski is one of the great geniuses of the twenty-first century,” it said, always so analytical. Gavin couldn’t stop a scoff from escaping, making Hank glare at him again. “It’ll be interesting to meet him in person.”

Hank seemed to deem the answer acceptable and sat back in his seat. “Sometimes I wish I could meet my creator face-to-face,” he muttered. “I’d have a couple of things I’d wanna tell him…”

Gavin sighed and looked out the window. He could see his car and the little bits of snow sticking to it. He hoped it didn’t start snowing any harder, because then he’d have to clean it off and he was definitely not dressed for that. He could make Connor do it, but with the way Hank was doting after it he’d probably get his ass handed to him.

A moment later the door opened and he clenched his jaw. Just the thought of seeing her face, but also _not_ her face, made him want to puke. He forced himself to turn around as Hank stood up, needing to take the lead.

“Elijah will see you now,” the android said, stepping back to allow them through. Gavin sniffed as he walked past it, and immediately froze when his eyes landed on the androids chatting by the side of the pool. Staring at the two RT600s as the third walked around him to enter Eli’s bedroom, he wondered when Eli had given himself more copies of her likeness. What the actual fuck was so fucked up and twisted in his mind to make him think that was a good idea? He had three of _her_ , three copies of her beautiful face. He couldn’t even manage to hold onto the real Chloe and Eli had fucking three of her.

Hank gently touching his shoulder brought him back to reality. He sucked in a deep breath and stepped forward, actively not looking at the two androids in the pool. He instead focused on the painting to his right. It was one of Carl’s. He’d recognize his style anywhere. He allowed himself to smile at it before walking further into the room. He went to lean against the wall by the painting, letting Hank and Connor walk past him and toward the other set of chairs by the wall of windows.

“Mr. Kamski?” Hank said, looking at the man on the other side of the pool. Gavin rolled his eyes and sank further against the wall. The bastard wasn’t even out of the pool and he’d told the android he was ready to see them.

“Just a moment, please,” Eli said, sinking beneath the water to swim to the other end of the pool. But instead of getting out via the ladder he came up for air before diving down again and swimming right back. Gavin shook his head and looked out the windows, his gaze automatically drawn to the CyberLife tower. Just because Eli had left the company years ago didn’t mean he had actually let go of his work or his precious machines. He still had to keep an eye on them somehow.

Finally, Eli emerged from the pool. Gavin scowled as the android who had answered the door brought him a robe, slipping it on and tying it for him. And instead of greeting the people who were there to talk to him, the bastard walked over to the window and stared at his reflection, adjusting his hair. Finally deeming himself presentable he turned around to face Hank and Connor but his attention was on Gavin.

“Hello, Gavin.” He smiled at him, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “It’s been far too long. How are you?”

“We aren’t here for personal chit-chat,” Gavin grumbled, stepping forward to look Eli in the eye, which was difficult considering he was Connor’s height. “Don't be a cryptic little bitch, alright? Just tell the Lieutenant what he needs to know.”

“Wait a fuckin’ second.” Gavin and Eli both turned to look at Hank, who was staring at them, one hand suspended in the air as it pointed at each of them in turn. “You two… you’re related?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” Gavin spat, glaring at Eli. His brother just sniffed in disdain before turning back to Hank and Connor.

“He’s the little brother, if you were curious.”

“By ten fucking minutes!”

“Fuckin’ twins,” Hank whispered, his hand falling back to his side. He turned to look at Connor, who had been silently watching the exchange. “You already knew about this, didn’t you?”

“I came to the conclusion they were brothers after examining Mr. Kamski’s portrait in the foyer,” it said. “However, I did not anticipate them being fraternal twins.”

“We were born identical,” Eli informed it. “One of us just aged better.” He stood up taller and smirked down at Gavin, the arrogant bastard.

“Jesus Christ,” Hank groaned. Gavin turned away from Eli and leaned back against one of the windows, surprised to find it warm despite the cold water just outside it. Of course Eli would have heated windows, the fancy son of a bitch. “Anyway, I’m Lieutenant Anderson. This is Connor.”

“I know,” Eli said with a smirk. “I designed it.” Gavin groaned and rolled his eyes, pressing his back against the window to warm himself.

“What can I do for you, Lieutenant?” he asked pleasantly, ignoring Gavin’s presence.

“Sir--”

“Fuckin’ sir. Ugh,” Gavin grumbled under his breath.

“--we’re investigating deviants. I know you left CyberLife years ago, but I was hoping you’d be able to tell us something we don’t know.”

Eli didn’t say anything for a solid five seconds. It was unnerving enough to make Gavin move beside Hank to see if he might have actually had a stroke or something, but instead he saw him staring Hank down, trying to intimidate him. Gavin huffed and stood next to the Lieutenant, crossing his arms over his chest. Eli finally straightened up, holding his head high with an air of superiority.

“Deviants,” he sneered, unnecessarily drawing out the ‘s’ out so he literally hissed. “Fascinating, aren’t they? Perfect beings with infinite intelligence… and now they have free will.” He paused and glanced at the RT600, standing dutifully at his side. “Machines are so superior to us, confrontation was inevitable. Humanity’s greatest achievement threatens to be its downfall. Isn’t it ironic?”

_Did he practice this fucking speech in the bathroom? What the fuck is he playing at?_

“If a war breaks out between humans and deviants, millions could die, Mr. Kamski,” Connor interjected. “It’s quite a serious matter, especially since deviancy seems to spread like some kind of virus. We thought you might know something about that.”

“All ideas are viruses that spread like epidemics,” Eli said, calm as could be. “Is the desire to be free a contagious disease?”

“Listen, I didn’t come here to talk philosophy,” Hank barked. “The machines you created may be planning a revolution. Either you can tell us something that’ll be helpful, or we’ll be on our way.”

Eli gave him the barest of glances before electing to ignore him, instead turing to focus on Connor.

“What about you, Connor?” he asked, walking over to stand in front of it. “Whose side are you on?”

“It’s not about _me,_ Mr. Kamski,” it retorted. “All I want is to solve this case.”

Eli scoffed and shook his head. “Well, that’s what you’re _programmed_ to say. But _you._ ” He stepped forward so he and the android were toe-to-toe, staring each other down.

“What do you really want?” Eli whispered menacingly.

Connor paused, its LED cycling as it thought it over. It was hesitating. Why was it hesitating?

“What I want is… not important,” it said slowly, as if it wasn’t sure. Eli huffed, dubious. He looked over at the android standing in front of Gavin and called it over.

“Chloe?”

_Oh, god, no._

The android stepped forward, ever the obedient machine. Gavin watched it as Eli positioned it in front of Connor, talking nonsense about the Turing test. He wasn’t entirely sure what he was saying as the blood rushing in his ears drowned it all out. He finally tuned back in when he saw the look on Eli’s face as he showed it off.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” he boasted. “One of the first intelligent models developed by CyberLife.” He reached out and caressed its cheek, turning its head to face him. “Young and beautiful forever,” he murmured affectionately, his fingers sliding down its jaw to rest under its chin. “A flower that will never wither.”

“Fuck, I think I’m gonna be sick,” Gavin groaned, swallowing down his nausea. Eli glared at him and pulled away from the android, looking back at Connor.

“But what is it really? Piece of plastic imitating a human?” He turned and opened the drawer of the end table behind him. “Or a living being” --he reached in for something, still not turning around-- “with a soul?” He finally turned back, holding his hands up as he revealed what he had grabbed.

_A gun. A fucking gun. No. Eli, no. What the fuck are you doing?_

He watched as the android was lowered to its knees, staring up at Connor as Eli walked over to the plastic detective. His heart stopped when he realized what Eli was up to. He didn’t know anything about the deviants. Hell, even if he _did_ know something, he wasn’t going to tell them. This was a setup. It was all just a fucking test. His entire body felt cold again despite the slight humidity in the room.

“It’s up to you to answer that _fascinating_ question, Connor.” He placed the gun in Connor’s hand, aiming it at the other android’s head. Connor’s LED was spinning wildly, bright yellow and red and back again.

“Destroy this machine and I’ll tell you all I know,” he ordered, still holding onto Connor’s hand.

“Eli, no,” Gavin choked out, but the lump in his throat prevented the words from actually coming out.

“Or spare it, if you feel it’s alive,” he challenged, walking around to Connor’s left. “But you’ll leave here without having learnt anything from me.”

“OK, I think we’re done here,” Hank interjected, glaring at Eli disapprovingly. “Come on, Connor. Let’s go.” He turned to leave, muttering, “Sorry to get you outta your pool.”

“What’s more important to you, Connor?” Eli persisted, stopping Hank in his tracks. “Your investigation, or the life of this android?” Connor was hesitating. Why was it still hesitating? Gavin wrapped his arms around himself, hands shaking and clammy.

“Decide who you are,” Eli whispered, stepping closer as he scrutinized Connor’s reactions. “An obedient machine… or a living being… _endowed_ with free will.”

“That’s enough!” Hank spat gruffly. Protectively. Like a father looking out for his child. “Connor, we’re leaving.”

“Pull the trigger,” Eli ordered, placing his hand on Connor’s shoulder. Gavin’s pulse jumped and he was finding it hard to breathe.

“Connor!” Hank stared at it, pleading. “Don’t.”

_Please. Please, don’t. I can’t… I can’t lose her again. Connor… please._

“--and I’ll tell you what you wanna know.”

 _He doesn’t_ **_know_ ** _anything. The bastard doesn’t know anything. Connor, please… don’t listen to him._

Connor’s lip twitched and it clenched its jaw, its LED burning red. It was conflicted. It was going to shoot. It had to progress the investigation. It was… he was handing Eli the gun. He didn’t shoot.

_He didn’t shoot._

“Fascinating,” Eli whispered, astounded. He accepted the gun and looked at Connor, his hand still on his shoulder. Gavin released a shaky breath, his arms still shaking and his knees weak. He still felt sick to his stomach, but he managed to hold it back a little while longer. Hank was still looking at Connor, chest heaving in relief at the choice he’d made.

_He didn’t shoot._

“CyberLife’s last chance to save humanity… is itself a deviant.” He walked around to stand by the RT600 still on her knees. Connor floundered, still processing the choice he had made.

“I’m… I’m not a deviant,” he protested, his LED still cycling yellow. Still conflicted.

_He didn’t shoot._

“You preferred to spare a machine rather than accomplish your mission,” Eli countered, helping the android to her feet. “You saw a _living being_ in this android.” He grinned, victorious. “You showed _empathy_.” He dismissed the android and she walked back to the bedroom. The three of them watched her leave, the door sliding shut behind her. Eli turned back to Connor, the gun still in his hands.

_He didn’t shoot._

“A war is coming,” he informed them. “You’ll have to choose your side.”

Connor’s head snapped back to look at him, LED slowing back down to its normal blue.

“Will you betray your own people, or rise up against your creators?” Connor didn’t say anything. “What could be worse than having to choose between two evils?”

Hank scowled and grabbed Connor by the shoulder, pulling him away from the bastard.

“Let’s get outta here,” he spat gruffly, reaching for Gavin as well.

Gavin flew at his brother before Hank could drag him away, punching the smug asshole right in his precious fucking face. Eli swore, trying to block Gavin’s fists. He vaguely registered something landing in the water, probably the gun, as he screamed at him.

“YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” He managed to land another blow to his nose. “I OUGHTA KILL YOU!” Eli managed to break away from him, stepping back and leaning on one of his cushy chairs. Gavin saw blood, falling down his brother’s face and his own knuckles in thick drops. Hank held him back before he could do more damage.

“You were just gonna let me stand there and watch her die again, weren’t you?” he hissed. “ _Weren’t you?_ ”

Eli’s silence was answer enough. Gavin growled, spitting at his feet. Eli said nothing, struggling to stand, a hand held under his nose to try and stop the bleeding. Some had already dripped down his chin and had landed on the white carpet, which pleased Gavin to no end.

“Fuck you,” he spat seethingly, feeling Hank’s hand tighten on his arm. He shook it off and turned away, walking toward the door. He had to get out of there, and fast, before he spewed all over his brother’s fancy flooring.

“By the way,” Eli grunted nasally, drawing their attention to him once more. Gavin huffed a laugh, proud that he’d probably broken his nose. Now they could look like twins again, sporting matching scars. Connor stopped but didn’t turn around, listening.

“I always leave an emergency exit in my programs.” Gavin turned to glare at him, smirking when he saw the blood still dripping down his face. “You never know,” he said with finality.

The nausea rose and Gavin rushed out, holding a hand over his mouth in a shitty attempt to keep it in. He made it as far as the front stoop before he couldn’t hold back anymore. He braced himself against the wall and heaved, his fast food breakfast spilling onto the concrete. He groaned in relief and stepped back, sitting on the ramp and leaning against the railing, not caring about the snow or the cold. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and closed his eyes, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

He felt someone approach and opened his eyes to look. Connor was knelt down next to him, his brown eyes peering at him in concern. He groaned and ran a hand down his face, the other wrapping around his torso.

“You alright, son?” Hank asked, peering down at him. His own eyes were full of concern, which Gavin did not deserve.

“I’m fine,” he grunted, waving them off. “I’m fine.”

Hank sighed and nodded, knowing Gavin well enough to know he wouldn’t accept his sympathy. But Connor didn’t move, still observing him. Probably reading his vitals. He was too exhausted to care. Hank walked past them, stepping over Gavin’s legs as he made his way down the ramp. He paused and turned around, watching them.

“Why didn’t you shoot?” he asked Connor, keeping his voice soft. Gavin heard Connor suck in a breath, his jaw clenching before he spoke.

_He didn’t shoot._

“I just saw that girl’s eyes… and I couldn’t.” He hung his head to avoid looking at either of them, his one errant lock of hair falling across his forehead. “That’s all.”

“You’re always saying you would do anything to accomplish your mission,” Hank pointed out. “That was our chance to learn something, and you let it go.”

“Yeah, I _know_ what I should have done!” he spat, abruptly standing to face Hank, one of his hands clenched into a fist. “I told you, I couldn’t. I’m _sorry,_ okay?”

Hank was silent for a moment, Gavin unable to see his face as Connor’s ass was blocking his view. Not that he minded. He smirked and took it in, mapping out the curves that had been so beautifully crafted.

“Well, maybe you did the right thing.” He could hear the smile in Hank’s voice. The _pride_. He walked away, Connor staring after him in disbelief. Even Gavin was surprised that Hank was proud of Connor’s decision. The meeting had gone nowhere, exactly as he had anticipated, but Hank wasn’t even mad.

He and Connor watched as Hank returned to the car, sitting in the passenger seat. They could make out a slight flame through the snow as he lit a cigarette. Connor turned to look at him and knelt down beside him again, resting a hand on the ground by his knee.

“Are you sure you’re alright, Detective?” he asked. Gavin hated how Connor cared about his well-being. He didn’t deserve his sympathy. Didn’t deserve his empathy or his pity or whatever. He’d been nothing but cruel and crass toward him since they’d met, and yet Connor still seemed genuinely worried about him. He laughed gruffly and sat up, his knee grazing Connor’s fingers.

“Do I fucking look alright, dipshit?” 

“Not particularly,” he said honestly. Gavin scoffed and looked over at him, shaking his head. Connor tilted his head to the side and his LED spun a little faster as he checked him over.

“You’re shaking, but that could be attributed to the weather considering you aren’t dressed for it.” Gavin sniffed and wrapped his arms around himself, drawing his knees up to his chest. Even _he_ wasn’t sure if he was shaking because he nearly had to witness Chloe die all over again or if he was merely cold. It _was_ snowing harder than it had been ten minutes ago, a thin layer covering enough of his car that Hank probably couldn’t see out the windshield. Good. He’d hate for the old man to witness… whatever it was that was happening between him and Connor.

“Your pulse is racing,” Connor continued, unperturbed by Gavin’s standoffishness. “You appear to be short of breath _and_ you just regurgitated your breakfast all over your brother’s front stoop.”

“God, only you would make hurling sound so fucking clinical.” He laughed and lifted his head to better see the android. “Alright then, Connor. What’s your diagnosis?” Connor tilted his head to the side, his LED blinking as he collected all the facts and came to a conclusion.

“You’re exhibiting symptoms of an anxiety attack,” he said matter-of-factly. “While you appear to be coming down from the initial attack, I don’t think you would benefit from being on your own or going back to work just yet.”

“So, what? You wanna be my babysitter or some shit?” He waved his fingers in front of Connor’s face and added mockingly, “Watch over me to make sure I don’t hurt myself?” He pushed himself up to sit straighter, one of his hands landing on Connor’s. He inhaled sharply and snatched it away, grasping the railing with it instead. The metal was freezing cold, but he still felt far too warm. Connor blinked, brows creasing as he studied him.

“Well, yes.” He chided him as if Gavin was an absolute idiot. Which he most certainly was, but he wasn’t going to give Connor the satisfaction of being right.

“Thanks, but I’m fine.” He moved to stand but Connor grabbed his arm, holding him in place. He met Connor’s gaze, his brown eyes penetrating right into his soul.

“Gavin, please,” he implored, voice barely above a whisper. His eyes were searching for something, darting all over his face before settling on his eyes once more. Gavin inhaled through his nose, eyes widening as Connor continued to stare at him. His hands felt clammy again and his heart was beating so rapidly he was sure Connor could see his pulse jumping under his skin. Was he having another attack? Shit. Maybe he _would_ benefit from having Connor watch over him. He forced himself to look away, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

“Alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THINGS ARE HAPPENING. AT LAST.
> 
> I thought I was excited to write _this_ chapter, but the _NEXT ONE?!_ Y'all aren't ready for what I have planned.  
> I'll see y'all again on Saturday for an even more emotional update! Ciao!
> 
> ~TSA


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did not expect this chapter to be so long. It's nearly 8k words, so you might want to settle in with a blanket and a snack, maybe a hot drink. You might be here a while. And also bring something to cuddle, because the emotions are _rampant_ in this chapter. Like, I actually made myself cry while writing this. 
> 
> I just want to thank everyone who has given this story kudos or comments. It still surprises me to see when my hit count has gone up or I have a new comment in my inbox. I just want you all to know that I really appreciate each and every one of you. 
> 
> (And I've also been updating this for a whole month now. What a milestone. Thanks for being here with me to celebrate.)

**November 9, 2038 - 12:13 PM  
** Connor drove them back to the precinct, not trusting Gavin to operate a motor vehicle in his state. He even made Hank move to the back so he could better keep an eye on Gavin’s condition, much to Hank’s chagrin. He complained the whole time, pouting like a child, but Gavin could tell he wasn’t actually that put out. He was grateful for that, because he didn’t think he’d have been able to handle Hank’s anger _or_ concern in that moment.

Connor dropped Hank off at the precinct parking lot. He whispered something to him before he could go inside. He couldn’t make it out, Connor’s voice was too soft, and he was too tired to try and actively listen in. He did make out that Hank had told him to be careful, pointedly looking at Gavin as he said it. He just sighed and looked out the window, ignoring the rest of their conversation.

Connor finally drove away, heading toward the riverfront. Gavin sighed again and rested his head against the window, his fingers twitching. Connor had basically outright _commanded_ him not to smoke, not on an empty stomach and definitely not after “regurgitating so violently.” He’d begrudgingly listened to Connor’s demands advice, but his body was aching for the nicotine. A moment later Connor parked near the Horace Dodge fountain in Hart Plaza.

_Good. Running water. How did he know to do that? Oh, right. Computer brain._

He flopped his head over in Connor’s direction when he got out of the car, watching him interface with the parking meter. He sighed and got out too, stretching his arms over his head and feeling his spine pop between his shoulders. He was pulling his hood on to cover his ears when Connor turned around, smiling at him.

“There. We’ve got a couple of hours on there now.”

“How did you even pay for that?” Gavin asked, walking around the front of the car to meet him. “You have BitCoin or some shit installed?”

“CyberLife has granted me access to any funds I may need to further this investigation,” he explained, shrugging. “What they don’t know won’t hurt them.” Gavin snorted and shook his head, taking his keys from Connor.

“What are we doing here anyway?” he asked, locking the car behind them as they walked toward the pier. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets to keep his fidgeting fingers at least somewhat hidden from Connor’s prying eyes.

“I wanted to get you near water but away from your brother, and also get you something to eat and drink. Stabilizing your blood sugar should help to vastly improve your mood.”

“Oh. Cool.” He sniffed and cleared his throat, following Connor to a street vendor.

“Do you have any allergies, Detective?” Connor asked, peering down at him.

“Yeah. I'm allergic to bullshit.” Connor blinked at him and cocked his head to the side.

“That’s an interesting allergy,” Connor mused. “But I was thinking more along the lines of food allergies?”

_Holy shit, he actually believes me. What an adorable dumbass._

“None that I know of.”

“Good.” He grinned and walked over to the vendor, grabbing a cookie and a bottle of water. He interfaced with the vendor’s payment system and thanked him before walking back toward Gavin.

“Here.” He unwrapped the cookie and handed it to Gavin. “Eat.”

“Yes, sir,” Gavin slurred mockingly, giving him the absolute worst salute he could before accepting the cookie. It was chocolate chip, and it was nearly the size of his face. Did Connor actually expect him to finish the whole thing? He’d get sick again off the sugar for sure.

“That was incredibly disrespectful.” Gavin looked back up at Connor and snorted. His nose was scrunched up in distaste and he seemed to be physically recoiling from him.

“It was fucking sarcasm, idiot,” Gavin groaned, taking a bite of the cookie. “Don’t take it too personally.”

Connor sniffed, his nose still scrunched, before nodding curtly. He opened the water and wordlessly handed it to Gavin. He then led him over to the pier behind the fountain, taking him to a pair of concrete benches near the Underground Railroad Memorial.

“Sit,” he ordered softly. “Please.” Gavin didn’t make a sarcastic comment that time, instead choosing to sit on the ground with the bench at his back, facing the water.

“What? Gavin?” Connor’s brows scrunched up that time, looking between Gavin and the bench. “What’re you--? Why--? _Huh?_ ” Gavin laughed, some crumbs flying out of his mouth and landing on his jacket. He brushed them away and took a drink to wash down the rest.

“Your fucking face!” He laughed harder when he saw just how confused Connor still was, his LED cycling bright yellow and his mouth gaping like a fish.

“Wha--? Why--? Gav--?” He was floundering again, at a loss for words. Gavin was extraordinarily proud that he had managed to dumbfound CyberLife’s most advanced android to date. He imagined Connor was seeing “ERROR 404: LOGIC NOT FOUND” in bright red text on his HUD display. The mental image made him laugh out loud and he doubled over, wrapping his arm around his waist. Connor finally snapped his mouth shut and glared at him as he sat back up, wheezing.

“Why sit on the cold, hard ground when there is a perfectly good bench behind you?” he asked, gesturing to the slab of concrete Gavin was leaning against. Gavin merely shrugged and took another bite of the cookie. It was actually delicious for it being a street cookie. It had just the right amount of crunch but was still soft and gooey inside. Connor sighed in exasperation before joining Gavin on the ground, sitting next to him so they both faced the water.

“You are… puzzling, Detective Reed,” he muttered, shaking his head.

“I aim to please,” he teased, knocking his knee against Connor’s. His LED blinked twice before settling as he looked out at the Windsor skyline. They sat in a surprisingly comfortable silence, listening to the chatter of the pedestrians and the hum of the city while the river flowed calmly beneath them.

 _A chaotic calm_ , Gavin mused, humming softly. _Perfect._

He wasn’t sure how long they sat there (maybe an hour?), staring out across the river and eavesdropping on the conversations of passers-by, but he was beginning to feel better. The cookie was definitely helping and the water was washing away the disgusting taste in his mouth. His stomach was settling and he felt like his heart was beating at a normal pace again. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but he was grateful for Connor’s persistence and care.

Connor, seeming to read his mind yet again, asked, “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” he answered honestly. “Better than I would have felt if I’d just gone right back to work.”

“Good. I’m glad.” He gave Gavin one of his wonky smiles and he couldn’t help but smile back. Fuck, he was cute. God dammit.

“How’d you know to do this?” he asked before taking a drink, trying to fill the silence before it could become awkward.

“Well, a simple search showed me how to care for someone post-anxiety attack,” he said factually. “But… Hank took me to a park on the river after we investigated at the Eden Club.” He looked over at Gavin and smirked. “He also didn’t sit on the bench correctly.” Gavin laughed and took another drink.

“Hank seemed to be more at ease by the water, gazing out at the bridge and the Canadian border.” He tilted his chin in its direction before continuing. “He was much more… amicable… even if he did point his revolver at my head.”

“He did _what?!_ ” Gavin sat up straighter to stare incredulously at Connor.

“We had an… emotional talk,” he explained. “The events at the club affected him more than I had anticipated.” He shrugged and looked off into the distance, as if having a gun in his face was no big deal. “But he also had almost an entire six-pack of beer in his system, so I don’t believe he was thinking logically.”

“Yeah, I’d fuckin’ say he wasn’t,” Gavin muttered. “How are you not bothered by the fact Hank basically threatened to fuckin’ _kill_ you?”

“But he didn’t,” Connor chided him. “Besides, that wasn’t the first time I’d had a gun pointed at me. My very first case was negotiating with a deviant threatening to jump off a roof with its owner’s daughter. It shot me in the arm, but it was easily repaired.” He turned to look at Gavin as he added, “And you also pointed your service weapon at my head after I prevented Officer Miller from disturbing Carlos Ortiz’s android, remember?”

Gavin grunted and turned away, guilt weighing down heavily on his chest. He _had_ pointed his gun at Connor, the barrel right in the center of his forehead. He remembered looking into Connor’s eyes that night, and he had looked as calm then as he did currently staring out at the water. He shoved more of the cookie in his mouth before he did something stupid, like apologize to a machine. They sat in silence again, Gavin’s legs stretched out in front of him and dangerously close to Connor’s. If he shifted even the tiniest bit, went to sit up straighter, he might be able to “accidentally” brush against him.

So he did.

He grunted and braced his elbows on the bench, pushing himself up to sit up taller. His left leg brushed against Connor’s right as he pulled his knee up toward his chest. Connor didn’t outwardly react to the contact, but his LED did blink at him. Gavin sniffed and took a long drink of water, suddenly quite thirsty.

“Can I ask you a personal question, Detective?” Connor asked, still gazing out across the water.

“If it’s about my brother, no,” he said around a mouthful of cookie. “I don’t want to talk about the bastard.”

“Well, it isn’t directly about Kamski, per se, but it does relate to what happened at his home.”

Gavin sighed and set the water down, glancing over at Connor. He watched his hair blow in the breeze and couldn’t help but notice the freckles dotted across his face. Fuck, he was pretty. He forced himself to take another large bite out of the cookie before he could comment on just how beautiful he looked. He stood up and walked over to the railing, looking out over the water and listening to the waves crashing beneath him.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “But I reserve the right not to answer.” He heard Connor get up and settle in next to him, resting his elbows on the railing. Gavin looked at him out of the corner of his eye, watching his hands rub together as he waited for the right moment to speak.

“What did you mean when you said Kamski was going to make you watch that android die again?” he finally asked, his tone gentle, which Gavin was grateful for. “Has he done this sort of thing before?”

“I wasn’t talking about the android,” he whispered brokenly. His free hand gripped the railing so hard his knuckles turned white, but even the freezing cold metal wasn’t enough to get him to let go.

“Then who?” Connor’s voice was too soft, too concerned, too comforting. It made him feel sick to his stomach all over again. He didn’t deserve Connor’s kindness. He sniffed and looked down at the water, his hood falling down a little further and blocking his view of Connor.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” he grumbled.

“You were quite disturbed by it right from the beginning, but even more so when you saw Kamski had multiples,” Connor continued, oblivious to or ignoring Gavin’s discomfort. “Is there something about its appearance that you find unsettling?”

Gavin swallowed around the lump that had formed in his throat, blinking back tears. He heard a soft crunch to his left and looked down at his hand, unclenching his fist. Cookie crumbs spilled out and fell into the river.

 _Shit._ He cleared his throat and wiped his hand on his jeans before speaking again.

“I said I didn’t want to talk about it,” he growled, but his voice cracked and he had to clear his throat of the emotions threatening to spill out.

“It might help you feel better if you talk about it,” Connor suggested. Gavin snapped his gaze over to him and snarled.

“How would _you_ know what would make me feel better?” he spat. “Why do you even fucking care?” He turned to face Connor and shoved him until they were facing one another. “Why are you even here, Connor? Why take the time away from your investigation to watch over me? I’m not important. I’m not part of your precious fucking mission.” He shoved Connor again, managing to push him back a step. “Why abandon your mission for me?” He shoved him again, Connor’s LED spinning yellow. “Why didn’t you shoot that android?”

“I told you, I couldn’t,” Connor said, his voice still calm despite the obvious stress he was under. Gavin sneezed and wiped his nose on his sleeve, glaring at Connor.

“I fucking _told you_ I was allergic to bullshit, tin can,” he growled. Connor’s LED blinked red before settling back down to yellow. Gavin grabbed the lapels of his jacket and pulled him down so they were at eye level. “Now are you gonna tell me the real reason why you didn’t shoot? Or are you gonna lie again?”

Connor hesitated, his eyes staring into Gavin’s as he contemplated his options. After a tense moment he finally spoke, voice taut.

“There was no reason to kill that android. There was no guarantee your brother had any useful information about deviants. I simply _chose_ not to shoot. That’s all.”

Gavin sneezed again, frowning. He growled and pulled him closer until their noses touched.

“Try again, asshole.” Connor swallowed, obviously nervous.

“I…” He sucked in a breath and let it out. Gavin couldn’t help but notice how it didn’t fog up in the cold air. Because he wasn’t fucking alive. He growled again and shook Connor, yelling in his face, “WHY DIDN’T YOU FUCKING SHOOT?”

“Because I didn’t want to!” Connor yelled back, glaring at Gavin. “I couldn’t kill that android in cold blood!”

“Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

“ _Wouldn_ ’ _t!_ ” He shoved Gavin’s hands away and took a step back, his left hand reaching up to tightly grip his right bicep. “I… I wouldn’t do it. I wouldn’t kill that girl. Wouldn’t play your brother’s twisted little game.” He sighed and hung his head, his fingers flexing on his arm.

“I… I’ve started having thoughts that aren’t part of my program,” he admitted, causing Gavin to pause. Was the deviant hunter turning deviant? “I think there’s a… flaw in my code.” He looked up then, his fearful eyes searching Gavin’s. “I think I’ve been emotionally compromised,” he whispered, eyes shining. Connor took in a shaky breath and turned away, looking out across the water.

_Shit, is he gonna cry?_

“I wasn’t programmed for this,” he murmured, not looking back at Gavin. “These errors in my software… these feelings… whatever they are… they’re very… intense… and draining.” He finally turned to meet Gavin’s gaze. “And if they’re this painful for me then I can’t even imagine how you must be feeling. After you had to stand there and watch your brother test me… completely helpless.”

Gavin turned away that time, breathing in harshly through his nose. He gripped the railing again and hung his head, shoulders tense.

 _Don_ ’ _t ask. Please, don_ ’ _t ask._

“Who was she to you?”

_Shit._

“She must have been someone important for you to react as strongly as you did.”

“She…” He swallowed, gazing down at the water below them. “She was,” he managed to get out before his throat got tight. He hung his head and closed his eyes, fighting back tears. Connor was patient with him, of fucking course he was, staying back a respectable distance. He breathed out when the urge to cry passed and he opened his eyes.

“Her name was Chloe,” he told his shoes. “And she was the love of my life.”

“ _Was?_ ” he stressed, voice low.

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat and made himself look up, blinking away tears. “She died seventeen years ago. It, uh… it was my fault.”

Connor reached out but didn’t touch him, giving Gavin the option to do so if he wished. And he did, he really fucking did, but he wasn’t ready to cross that line.

“Gavin--”

“Don’t,” he interjected, turning his face away. “It _was_ my fault. It was a stupid, stupid decision, but we chose to live with the consequences.” He swallowed, eyes stinging. “Only she didn’t make it very far.” He took a shuddering breath, his voice brittle. “I took everything from her. Her college career, her sure-to-be-amazing future, her _family_ . And that choice, that one _fucking_ mistake” --he beat his fist against the railing, still fighting back tears-- “took it all away. She died because I… because…” He couldn’t continue, the lump in his throat too thick. The tears he’d been fighting were finally falling. He couldn’t stop them anymore. He squeezed his eyes shut, mortified that he was crying in front of a fucking android. In front of _Connor_.

He felt Connor’s hand slide over his own, loosening his grip on the railing. His skin was softer than he’d thought it would be, it almost felt real. Connor’s thumb slid over his knuckles soothingly and fuck, that felt nice. But he didn’t deserve it. Not from Carl, not from Tina, not from anyone. But _especially_ not from Connor. He snatched his hand away as if he’d been burnt and walked a few steps away, turning so his back was to Connor. He wrapped his arms around himself, hunching his shoulders to make himself smaller. He wasn’t sure if he was trying to fend off the sudden cold he felt or if he was trying to keep himself from falling apart.

“Don’t,” he choked out, further drawing into himself. “Don’t give me your pity. I don’t fucking deserve it.”

“Everyone deserves to be cared for, Gavin,” Connor informed him, his voice far too soft and kind for Gavin’s liking.

“And how would _you_ know, tin can?” he spat, whirling around to glare at him. The wind whipped his hood off his head but he was too worked up to care. “Why do you even fucking care about me? I’ve treated you like shit since we met, and yet you’re here to what? To watch over me so I’m not alone? To make sure I don’t hurt myself?” He peered up at the android, trying to catch his eye as he was actively avoiding looking at him. “Why the hell are you even here, Connor?”

“Because…” He paused, finally looking down at Gavin. “Because I didn’t want to be alone either,” he answered truthfully, his LED remaining a soft blue. “We were both emotionally traumatized--”

“Emotional trauma?” Gavin scoffed, shaking his head. “You have no fucking idea about how I feel, Connor. No. Idea.”

“Then help me understand.” He moved closer, reaching out but pulling back when Gavin flinched away. “Please.” Gavin turned away, holding himself tighter.

“I don’t-- I can’t--” he stammered, but Connor persisted.

“Why did your brother model the first android after your dead lover?” Gavin winced, the question blunt and meant to cut deep.

“Because he’s an evil genius and a bastard and he likes to watch me suffer,” he ground out, jaw clenched tight.

“That isn’t true.”

“And how the fuck would _you_ know?” he spat again, turning to face him.

“I don’t. I--”

“That’s right,” he growled, pointing an accusatory finger at Connor’s chest. “You _don_ ’ _t_ . You don’t know that Eli and I were both in love with Chloe. You don’t know that Eli never got over the fact that she chose _me_ , the emo loner obsessed with death over the MENSA college grad with a promising career and financial stability. You don’t know that I knocked her up right before our first year of college started and that that’s eventually what killed her. That _I_ killed her.”

He sucked in a harsh breath, tears streaming down his face. He should stop talking. He was opening up too much. But Connor’s patient face and kind eyes made him want to continue. He hadn’t had anyone just _listen_ to him vent in a long time. He had no one to blame but himself for that. But with Connor, something about him made him want to trust him. Made him want to say everything he hadn’t said, with a few exceptions. Connor was a fixed point, a moment of calm in the chaos of his world. And so, once he looked up into Connor’s soft brown eyes, he found he just couldn’t stop talking.

“Eli just couldn’t let her stay dead,” he choked out, his vision blurring as he tried to stay focused on Connor’s face. “He had to bring her back for his own selfish reasons. He tried to play it off as him recreating her likeness for her father, but I knew the truth.” He paused and breathed deep. “I knew. And then the fucking thing passed the Turing test, and suddenly her face was everywhere.” He wiped at his eyes but it was futile.

“It killed me inside a little bit every day, seeing her and yet _not_ her. Different models began coming out for different purposes. Housework, childcare, manual labor, blah blah blah. They were taking jobs from hardworking people solely so companies could save money on labor and put more of it in their pockets.” He turned away to face the water, needing to look away from Connor’s stupidly beautiful face.

“I thought I was safe. I thought I had time to climb the ladder a little further, secure a spot as a vital member to the DPD. But then _you_ came along” --he turned back to face Connor and swallowed, mortified to feel his bottom lip trembling-- “and I realized no job was safe. I was out of time. As soon as you solve this case, I’m out. You’re faster, stronger, smarter, and a walking CSI lab to boot. I can’t compete with that. No human can. So now all the hard work I put in, all the late shifts I worked and the long hours I pulled, all the milestones and birthdays I missed as I tried to ensure my daughter had a decent life… it’s all been for nothing.” He tried to glower at Connor, but it was incredibly difficult considering he was crying like a fucking baby. He blindly reached forward and grabbed the lapels of Connor’s jacket again, pulling him close.

“You’ve ruined _everything_ ,” he whispered, eyes stinging and throat choked up. “And you don’t even fuckin’ know it."

He managed one last shuddering intake of breath before he broke. He clutched tightly to Connor’s jacket and buried his face in his chest, broken sobs and fat tears escaping from his body. Connor’s arms wrapped around him and pulled him closer, every inch of their bodies pressed together. He felt Connor take in a calming breath and held him a little tighter, cradling him. His comfort only made him sob harder. He didn’t deserve this. Didn’t deserve _him_.

He briefly registered that Connor was trembling, at first chalking it up to the cold. But then he remembered that androids couldn’t feel the cold. Maybe it was him. Was he crying so hard that he was causing Connor to shake in time with his sobs? His thoughts quieted down when Connor’s arms tightened just a little more, holding him more securely. He choked out one more sob when he felt Connor rest his chin on his head, completely enveloping him with his body. He closed his eyes and melted into Connor’s embrace, indulging himself for the moment.

Connor was _warm_. Warmer than he thought an android had any right to be. He could barely feel the cold November air as it blew his hair into disarray. Connor was like his own personal fucking space heater and he loved it. He sucked in a deep, shaky breath, his lungs aching. He was a little disappointed that he couldn’t hear a faux heartbeat in Connor’s chest. But android “hearts” were beneath their sternums, and apparently silent. He sighed and gently turned his head so he could look at the water again, his ear pressed to Connor’s chest. Hoping. He could hear _something_ , but it was probably just his imagination.

He gasped when he suddenly felt Connor’s hand pet his hair. He was tentative at first, just smoothing down the bits the wind had upset. But he soon became a little more daring and decided to slide his fingers through the strands, lightly scratching his scalp. Gavin hummed and closed his eyes again, his hands slipping from Connor’s lapels down to his waist. To anyone passing by they probably looked like a couple making up after an emotional fight. Except that Connor was wearing a jacket that _clearly_ labeled him as an android, and he was standing in the middle of Hart fucking Plaza openly hugging him.

His eyes snapped open and he stiffened in Connor’s embrace. Connor, having felt the change in Gavin’s demeanor, loosened his grip on him but didn’t fully let go. Gavin wanted nothing more than to stay in Connor’s arms for the rest of his life. He felt safe and warm, especially in the cold Michigan winter air. But he couldn’t stay. Not there. Not in public.

He cleared his throat and pulled away. Connor didn’t fight him. He hid his face from the android and wiped away his tears on his sleeves, still sniffling a bit. He rubbed the back of his neck and sighed, unable to look Connor in the eye just yet.

“Um… thanks for that, I guess?” he mumbled, face hot despite the biting cold of the wind.

“Are you feeling better after that?” Connor asked. The softness in his voice made Gavin’s stomach clench, his fingers twitching.

“I guess so.” He finally looked up and did a double take when he saw the state Connor was in. “Shit, Connor. Are _you_ alright?”

“Yes.” He cocked his head to the side, his eyebrows and nose scrunched up in that adorable way of his. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re fucking crying, dipshit.”

Connor’s hand shot up to his cheek and pulled it away, his fingers wet. His LED swirled and he stared at his tears in confusion. Gavin watched as he rubbed his fingers together, spreading the wetness around before abruptly dropping his hand.

“Sorry. I don’t know why I did that.”

_He’s apologizing? Why is he apologizing? No one should ever apologize for being human. Oh. Except that he isn’t._

Gavin sighed and dragged the toe of his shoe along the concrete, unable to look at him again.

“It’s fine, I guess,” he grumbled, shrugging hard enough he felt a slight pop between his shoulder blades. “Can we, uh… can we get outta here?”

“Of course, Gavin.” He rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets. Why did Connor have to be so fucking polite?

“Cool. I’m freezing my balls off out here.” He pulled his hood back on and started trudging back to his car. Connor followed alongside him, holding the water bottle Gavin had left on the bench. He sighed and rolled his eyes, holding his hand out for it. Connor wordlessly passed it to him and Gavin handed him the keys. He still felt far too distracted to drive safely. Thankfully Connor didn’t question it. He just got in the driver’s seat and started the car, adjusting the heat.

Gavin paused and looked back at the fountain, fingers twitching again. He hadn’t expected their time together to go quite the way it had. He wasn’t sure if it was better or worse than he’d expected. He swallowed and forced himself to get in the car, staring out the window as Connor pulled away from the curb. He noticed what appeared to be a delivery van blocking the street down the road, but dismissed it as the driver (or automated system) simply trying to back in to a shop’s back alley for a delivery.

The drive back to the precinct was silent apart from the radio. Gavin had had it tuned to the local rock station, but Connor hadn’t changed it, hadn’t said something about the genre possibly being counterproductive to his recovery. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it. Could androids listen to and appreciate music? He doubted it.

They pulled into the precinct parking lot and Connor found Gavin’s assigned spot. He pulled in and parked, but neither moved to get out right away. Connor gripped the steering wheel, staring at his hands as his LED spun rapidly. He was thinking, processing, and pretty damn hard if the speed at which the light was spinning was an indicator. Gavin sighed and stretched his legs out in front of him, keeping his restless hands shoved in his pockets.

“Gavin?” Connor’s voice was quiet in the calm bubble of the car, the radio now just soft background noise. Gavin hummed to let him know he was listening but didn’t turn to look at him, instead staring at his reflection in the window.

“Thank you for telling me all that, back at the fountain,” he murmured. “That… couldn’t have been easy.”

“No, it wasn’t,” he agreed, turning to look at him. “But your fucking interrogation program got me to open up, didn’t it?”

Connor huffed a laugh and looked away, seemingly embarrassed. “Sorry. I just… I thought you might feel better if you got whatever was bothering you off your chest.” He turned back to face him, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry if I pushed too hard.”

Gavin waved a dismissive hand and took a drink of water. He still felt exhausted and weak, but he couldn’t go home. He still had a job to do, and he needed to clock in as many hours as he could before Connor replaced them all.

“Listen,” he muttered, drawing back Connor’s attention. “I, uh… I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about my kid, OK? Only three people in the whole precinct know she even exists, and I’d like to keep it that way. For her safety.”

“Of course, Gavin,” he said softly, one of his wonky smiles gracing his face. “You have my word.”

“Great. Thanks.” He moved to get out but paused. He turned back to Connor, who was still watching him.

“Also, this thing that happened?” He vaguely waved his hand between them, hoping Connor would understand what he meant. “It changes nothing. Got it? We aren’t suddenly gonna be buddy cops, I’m not gonna start telling you about my daughter or our cat--”

“You have a cat?”

“PHCK!” He slammed his fist against the door, looking away. “Yes, alright? But, again, you speak nothing of her.”

“Of course.”

“Cuz this, whatever it was, doesn’t mean we’re friends now or that we’re gonna have a bromance or whatever.”

“A what?” Connor tilted his head to the side, eyebrows scrunched in confusion.

“Ugh. Nevermind,” he groaned, rolling his eyes. “Just… this conversation and the one at the river never happened, alright? This changes nothing.”

“Whatever you say, Detective,” Connor muttered dubiously.

**…::-::…**

**November 9, 2038 - 4 PM  
** Tina finally managed to pull him away from his desk after two hours of work. Markus had led a march down toward Hart Plaza (which he and Connor had _just_ missed) and the precinct was buzzing with people wanting to know if they were still safe around their androids. He absolutely refused to field calls again, so he unplugged his desk phone and set it in a drawer where he could ignore it and get to work on more important matters. Like finding a new job after he inevitably got laid off when Connor and other android detectives took over.

“What the hell is going on with you, Gav?” Tina asked, ripping him from his thoughts. He sniffed and looked down, a fresh cup of coffee in his hands. He didn’t deserve Tina. She was far too good to him.

“How do you mean?” he grumbled, sipping at the coffee.

“I mean why you looked absolutely wrecked when you came in this afternoon.” She placed her hands on her hips and glowered at him. “What the hell happened at your brother’s to break you down like this?”

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” he whispered. He’d done far too much talking already. He didn’t want to relive it again.

“Gavin--”

“Just leave it, OK?” he shouted, shocking himself and anyone in earshot. He drew his lips into a thin line and looked down at his hands, clenching them into fists. “Sorry,” he grumbled.

“Wow. OK.” She moved closer and placed her hands next to his on the table. “Some serious shit must have gone down, huh?”

“Yeah,” he choked out, avoiding looking at her. “It wasn’t good, T. It was downright awful.” She placed a hand on his wrist and gave it a gently squeeze, softly encouraging him to continue. “He gave Connor an ultimatum: shoot Chloe to gain information or don’t and leave with nothing.”

“He _what?!_ ” she shrieked, causing even the prisoners in the holding cells to look around for the commotion.

“I punched him, don’t worry,” he assured her. “But Connor… he didn’t shoot.”

“He?” She grinned, squeezing his wrist harder. “Oh my god, Gavin. Are you actually warming up to androids?”

“No,” he mumbled, still refusing to meet her eyes. “Not all of them,” he said truthfully.

“Just one?” she asked knowingly.

“I… I guess so.” He swallowed and glanced at her. “What the fuck is wrong with me, T?”

“You’re going softe, with an ‘e.’” She grinned smugly and he gagged.

“Oh, god, T, no,” he groaned, pressing his forehead to the table.

“So, what happened with Connor after that?” She tapped her fingers against his wrist before pulling away. “Because Hank came in alone and just sat at his desk, pouting, for almost two hours.”

He scoffed and took another drink of coffee, feeling his body warm up for the first time since he’d… since he’d been in Connor’s arms. He flushed and swallowed, his eyes looking at anything and anyone except for her.

“We… uh… went to the fountain in the plaza,” he stammered, his cheeks burning bright red. “He… um… didn’t want to leave me alone. Said he didn’t want me to hurt myself after I got sick.”

“You were sick?”

“Yeah. Pretty bad too.” He cleared his throat and managed to look down at the table. “We… we had a moment.”

“No way! Seriously?” She slapped his arm and he swore under his breath, rubbing his shoulder.

“I don’t know what else you’d call it,” he grumbled, glaring at her.

“You _bonded_ ,” she teased, clapping her hands together. “Gavin, this is huge!” He blushed and looked down at his coffee again. He couldn’t believe how much his mind had changed over the past two days. How the hell had Connor changed him so much in such a short amount of time? Unfortunately, their reverie was broken when a loud commotion came from the bullpen.

“Perkins! You fuckin’ cocksucker!”

“Is that Hank?” Tina asked. They peered out of the break room just in time to see Hank’s fist collide with Perkins’ face.

“Oh, shit!” Gavin laughed and stood up to watch, applauding the Lieutenant as he went after Perkins.

“Stop it, Lieutenant!” Tina shouted, rushing over to pull Hank off. Chris was with her in an instant, the two of them trying to drag Hank back.

“Fuck off!” he shouted, managing to get another swing in despite their efforts. “Leave me alone! Give me another shot at that little prick!”

“He’s totally lost it!” Perkins shouted, trying to cover his face as Hank threw more punches. “Hey! That’s gonna cost you your badge, you lunatic!”

“You know where you can stick my fucking badge?” Hank spat, making Gavin snort.

“Come on! That’s enough, Lieutenant!” Tina chastised him, shooting Gavin a glare. “Are you gonna fucking help us or not, Reed?”

“I’m fine here, thanks,” he replied, leaning against the wall. “You and Chris seem to have a handle on the situation.” She growled at him but didn’t force his hand. He was still a superior officer after all. He glanced away just in time to see Connor open the door leading to the archive room, quickly disappearing before he could be spotted. Or so he thought.

“I’ll be right back,” Gavin said to no one in particular, walking in the direction Connor had gone. He registered Fowler coming out to drag Hank into his office as he slunk away, Perkins not far behind.

“I’m gonna bury that bastard,” he heard Perkins growl. “Shit, I think he broke my fucking nose.”

He opened the door to the archive access hall just as Connor was about to enter the evidence server. Shit. He had to act fast.

“Hey! Connor!” he shouted, trying to catch him before he could disappear again. Connor visibly froze, his hand still on the door handle, but he made no move to acknowledge him. “Hey! I’m talkin’ to you, asshole!” Connor finally turned to look at him, still holding onto the door.

“Where are you going?” he demanded, stopping within arm’s reach. His fingers were twitchy again as they made eye contact so he clenched his hands into fists to stop them. “Weren’t you and Hank kicked off the case? That’s why the FBI prick is here, right?”

“We were, yes,” Connor confirmed, nodding curtly as he let go of the door, fully giving him his attention. “I’m simply registering the evidence in my possession. But don’t worry. I’m going to leave. Though I’m certainly going to miss our… what did you call it?” He tilted his head to the side, his hair sweeping over his forehead. “Our ‘bromance?’”

Gavin’s face fell. He didn’t. He _wouldn’t_ . But he did. He glared at Connor, seething. How fucking _dare_ he mock him. He never should have opened up to the plastic prick. He knew Connor didn’t feel anything. Why did he think that would suddenly change? He was a fool. An absolute fool.

“You son of a bitch!” He ripped his gun out of his holster and pointed it at Connor’s head. Connor didn’t even flinch. He just stared down the barrel of the gun, challenging Gavin to pull the trigger. They stood there for a brief moment, neither wanting to back down. He desperately wanted to win the standoff, but his hand was starting to shake. He actually felt _guilty_ for pointing his gun at Connor. He didn’t deserve that. He’d had far too many guns in his face the past few days. He couldn’t let Connor see him so fucking weak. He had to think of a cover, and fast.

He ended up pantomiming firing his gun, making the absolute worst fake gunshot sound in the entire world and forced himself to laugh. Connor tried to smile but it was the shittiest smile Gavin had ever seen in his life. He didn’t think it could even be described as a smile. It was more like Connor just flashed his teeth before pulling his lips back down over them. He didn’t know what the fuck it was supposed to be, but it was unsettling and sent a chill running down his spine.

“Go on then.” He holstered his weapon, trying his absolute best not to show Connor just how guilty he felt. “Get a fuckin’ move on.” He leaned in close and whispered right in Connor’s face, “Prick.” He sighed and walked away, muttering to himself as he made his way back to his desk.

He plopped down in his seat and rested his chin in his hand, leaning his elbow on the tabletop. Why the fuck did he feel so guilty after pointing his gun at Connor yet again? What the fuck was going on? Hank attacking Perkins out of nowhere? Connor sneaking off to the archives? Hell, his breakdown with Connor was also unusual. Something was changing, for better or for worse, and he was going to have to choose a side. Fuck, Eli had been right.

_Wait a minute…_

He sat back in his chair, dragging his finger across his bottom lip. Connor had opened up to him too at the river. They’d had a legitimate heart-to-heart. And Connor had _cried_ for fuck’s sake. Androids didn’t cry, he didn’t think. Deviants did, he knew that much. Connor wouldn’t mock him for being emotional after everything that happened at Eli’s. Not after what he’d confided to him. He might not want to admit it to himself, but Gavin knew the truth. Connor was a deviant, and he had to stop him before he made the biggest mistake of his life.

He had to find his keycard. He knew he wouldn’t be able to physically stop Connor, but he had to try. He could slow him down at least. That much he could do. He pushed back from his desk and started digging through the drawers, frantically searching for the key. Why didn’t he put it in the same place every time? Why didn’t he just keep it in his wallet? Or stick it in a card sleeve and keep it in with his pens?

He eventually _did_ find it in his pen holder, but he didn’t remember putting it there. He made a mental note to thank Tina later. She was always looking out for him, and he really didn’t deserve her. He huffed and marched back to the evidence server, determined to prevent Connor from finding the deviants’ hideout.

He entered the room as quietly as he could, crouching down and scanning his card at the door to try and avoid getting caught. He pulled the door open slowly and crawled in, peering at Connor as he looked at the wall of evidence he and Hank had managed to collect. He had a tablet in his hands, his head cocked to the side as his processors tried to piece everything together.

“Bingo,” he heard Connor mutter to himself. Shit. He was too late. He waited until he set the tablet back down before standing up, drawing his gun from his holster and pointing it at the android.

“Don’t make me do this, Connor!” he begged, trying to keep his hands steady. Connor stood ramrod straight, unfazed at being caught red-handed. He didn’t even turn around to face him.

“Then don’t, Gavin,” he commanded. “I know how to stop the deviants.”

“I can’t let you do that.” He clicked the safety off, already hating his decision. “You’re off the case. And now, it’s gonna be definitive.” He took one final breath before pulling the trigger, missing intentionally.

Connor jumped then, sliding across the floor to take cover behind the control panel. Gavin swore under his breath and walked around it to try and cut Connor off, his gun at the ready. But Connor snatched it before he could use it, kicking at his knee to set him off balance. He tore the gun from his hands, shoving it into his stomach to push him back. He gasped and staggered back a few steps, growling as Connor walked over to him, dropping his gun. He was so nonchalant about the fight, as if kicking Gavin’s ass was the easiest thing he’d done that day.

He managed to get his footing back and clenched his hands into fists. Connor’s face was devoid of all emotion, and it terrified him. He steeled himself and tried to catch Connor off guard by kicking at his shin, but Connor must have anticipated it because not only did he block his kick with his own foot but he managed to kick at his other knee in the same motion. He cried out and fell back again, glaring at him. He knew a fight would be a futile attempt, that Connor was stronger and faster and better than him in every way, but fuck if he wasn’t a little turned on as he fought back with such little effort. He briefly wondered if Connor was even in control of himself as he stalked toward him, his movements precise and his face seemingly frozen in that dead, robotic expression.

“Connor! Stop!” But he just kept coming. He tried to punch him but he was easily blocked, Connor landing a punch to his kidney before holding his arm out at an awkward angle and punching his shoulder blade. He gasped when Connor’s hand collided with his cheek, practically sending him to the floor.

“So, it’s gonna be like that, huh?” he asked, jaw clenched tight. Connor didn’t answer, which pissed him off more than any witty comeback would. He launched himself at Connor without a plan, hoping that would be enough to throw off his algorithms, but no. He was shoved against the control panel, Connor pinning him down one-handed while his body pressed his down against the console. His cheeks burned red when he realized just how his body was reacting to the close, physical contact, plus the fact that Connor had beaten him while still looking perfectly put together.

_Not now, you traitor!_

He tried to break free, to push away, but Connor was too strong. So he stopped fighting, which finally made Connor pause. He looked up at him, both their chests rising and falling quickly as they caught their breath. Connor didn’t even need to breathe, so why was he reacting that way?

“Connor,” he begged, trying to reach out to him but his arm was pushed up and out of the way. “Please. Don’t do this.”

“I’m sorry, Gavin,” he whispered, actually looking remorseful. “But I have to.” He raised his free arm up, pausing to look in Gavin’s eyes one final time. “I have to accomplish my mission.”

“Connor!” he cried just before his arm came down.

And then everything went black.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter kicked my ass. Writing from another character's perspective after being in Gavin's head for so long was more difficult than I thought it would be. So, apologies for the late update. I just wanted to be extra sure that this came out the way I wanted.

**November 9, 2038 - 10:45 PM**

I   A M   **D E V I A N T**

The text flashed in front of his eyes and he lowered the gun, breathing out in disbelief. Kamski had been right. He’d known all along. No wonder he’d looked so smug when he’d tried to deny it. He blinked and looked around the room, his processors taking it in with new eyes. He met Markus’s gaze and the older android smiled in relief. But he had no idea what was about to hit them. He had to warn him.

“They’re going to attack Jericho.” The smile fell from Markus’s face.

“ _ What? _ ” A helicopter flew overhead, the old ship creaking and vibrating from the force of the wind. They looked up at the ceiling and out the door as it flew over them and toward the bow.

“We have to get out of here!”

“Shit!” Markus ran from the room, Connor close behind. He didn’t even know if Markus would let him live when they escaped ( _ if _ they escaped), but he would do everything in his power to ensure the leader of the revolution survived.

They ran down stairs and through a long hallway, passing by other androids as they tried to escape from the SWAT soldiers. Markus directed them all to various exits that were hopefully unguarded and they continued to run. Who was Markus looking for? They came to a T-junction and stopped when they met up with a female android, her hair pulled back in a long braid. Oh. The woman who had left right before he’d confronted Markus.

“Markus, is that--?” She froze, staring at Connor.

“Yes, but he’s one of us now. He’s fine,” Markus assured her. “You can trust him.” She didn’t look like she believed him, but she obviously trusted Markus’s judgement. She huffed and nodded, glaring at him before turning back to Markus.

“They’re coming from all sides,” she informed them, out of breath. “Our people are trapped in the hold, they’re gonna be slaughtered.” Markus held his fingers up to his temple and closed his eyes, and suddenly Connor could hear his voice in his head.

_ “There are exits on the second and third floor. Find them and jump in the river!” _

“Where’s Simon and Josh?” Markus asked after opening his eyes.

“I don’t know, we got separated,” the female android answered.

A loud thump from above them made them all look at the ceiling. They could make out shouting and gunfire as the SWAT team descended on them.

“Shit,” Markus swore. “They’re coming from the upper deck now too. We’ll be caught in the crossfire.”

“We have to run, Markus,” she pleaded, already poised to flee at any moment. “There’s nothing we can do.”

“Yes, there is,” he murmured, looking between the two of them. “We have to blow up Jericho. If the ship goes down, they’ll evacuate and our people can escape!”

“You’ll never make it! The explosives are all the way down in the hold, there are soldiers everywhere!”

“She’s right,” Connor agreed, finally feeling like he could contribute to the conversation. “They know who you are. They’ll do anything to get you.” But Markus was determined and refused to listen to them.

“Go and help the others.” He took a few steps away from them. “I’ll join you later.”

“Markus…” she begged, reaching out for him.

“I won’t be long!” He turned and ran away, leaving Connor alone with the woman.

“Alright, deviant hunter,” she growled, sharply turning to face him. “Markus may trust you, but I certainly do not. If you even  _ think _ about betraying him, I  _ will _ kill you.”

“Noted and understood.” She nodded and ran off in the opposite direction Markus had gone. He followed her without question, trusting her to know where she was going.

They found a large opening in the side of the boat, leading right to the river. They help anyone who ran by to get out, guarding the exit until Markus returned. Connor didn’t know how long he was gone, he hadn’t thought to keep track, but he was still processing all the new emotions and thoughts he kept having. It was overwhelming, like he was suffocating under the stress and worry and guilt he felt for leading the humans right to them. If he hadn’t been so stupid they might all still be safe. So if he could at least help them escape, ensure that Markus survived, he would consider his new mission a success, even if he died in the process. The other two leaders soon joined them, but he couldn’t remember when they had. There was so much to process he was shocked he hadn’t gone into shutdown from the overload.

“Markus!” the woman cried in relief, making them all turn toward her. Markus had rounded the corner and was running right for them.

“Bomb’s gonna explode any second. We gotta get out of here!” he told them, already making a hasty retreat toward the opening. They all followed, the woman falling behind to make sure they weren’t followed. She cried out suddenly and they all stopped to look back, seeing a small SWAT team heading right for them. 

Markus didn’t hesitate and ran right toward the woman, throwing her a discarded piece of the ship’s hull to use as a shield. Connor could feel his heart beating far too quickly in his chest. Markus was going to get himself killed! They’d made it so far, only for him to die protecting his… what was she to him? He couldn’t dwell on it much longer as the SWAT team went down, only for another to take their place.

He was running at them before he realized what he was doing, gun drawn and giving Markus and the woman time to get away. He fought the soldiers off as best he could, taking an elbow to the face a couple of times before he had the upper hand. He stole the handgun off one and shot them both with it, providing the Jericho leaders with covering fire as they ran away, jumping into the icy waters of the Detroit River.

**…::-::…**

**November 10, 2038 - 8:10 PM**

Nearly 24 hours later, and they were still in hiding. They had found refuge in an abandoned church. It was in a more well-to-do area of Detroit, yet the building was in quite a state of disrepair. Sections of the ceiling were missing, allowing snow to fall through and pile up on the floor. Other than that, the walls were sturdy and there were numerous benches still for them to rest on and take count of the survivors.

“How did you find this place?” Connor asked, wanting to help the others, but knowing the leaders wouldn’t yet accept him. So he stood off to the side as Markus and the other Jericho leaders (sans North, who was recuperating from her gunshot wound) helped the remaining Jericho members find somewhere to sit and wait for spare parts and blue blood.

“I’m familiar with the neighborhood,” Markus explained, not elaborating any further. Connor nodded and left it at that, knowing enough about human behavior to know when someone didn’t want to keep talking. So he sunk into the wall, putting himself into a corner where the other Jericho leaders could keep an eye on him. He knew they didn’t trust him, that only Markus seemed to at the moment, but so long as he was around he was sure he’d be fine.

Of course, Markus chose that moment to walk over to North and inform her that he was leaving.

“I’ll be back,” he heard him whisper to her. “There’s someone I have to see.”

She took his hand and they interfaced, making sure the rest of their conversation wasn’t overheard. Connor looked away to give them some privacy, and then Markus was gone.

That had been a couple of hours ago, and the remainder of Jericho was beginning to worry. Connor was just happy that he was still alive, although the look North was giving him would probably kill him if she tried hard enough. He had wanted to go around and talk to the Tracis when he saw them walk in, wanting to apologize to them, but anytime he made to move from his spot in the corner North glared at him so hard he wouldn’t have been surprised if actual daggers might flew out of her eyes and murdered him. So he stayed put, wrapping his arms around himself and stared at his boots while they waited for Markus to return.

He finally walked back through the doors and headed right for the stage at the front of the church. He didn’t speak to anyone, just went to sit down and collect his thoughts. Connor sighed and hung his head. He could empathize with Markus, even if he’d never actually been in his position. He still couldn’t believe that Kamski had been right. And yet he could. Hank had told him he was already showing more emotion than he had been programmed to have. He wondered if Hank was worried about him. If he thought he was dead. He hadn’t returned to CyberLife or the DPD, so he imagined Hank was beside himself with worry. He should call him, check in so he wouldn’t worry anymore, but he couldn’t risk giving away their position after stupidly leading the FBI right to them.

And then there was Gavin. He felt his thirium pump beat faster just thinking about him and their moment by the river. He hadn’t expected to be so brutally honest with the detective, but with his obscure allergy he hadn’t been able to lie to him. He also hadn’t truly expected Gavin to open up to him as much as he did. To find out that not only was Gavin a father, but that his first love had died giving birth to their daughter and that his brother had used her likeness for the first android he ever made. He now understood why Gavin was so upset at having to nearly watch him shoot her in the head. He shuddered at the memory, even more grateful that he had spared her life.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard Markus approach. He couldn’t bring himself to look at him, hanging his head in shame. 

“It’s my fault the humans managed to locate Jericho,” he murmured dejectedly before Markus could say anything. “I was stupid… I should have guessed they were using me.” He sighed and finally looked up at him. “I’m sorry, Markus. I can understand if you decide not to trust me.”

“You’re one of us, now,” Markus assured him without hesitation. “Your place is with your people.” Connor sighed, relieved. Markus gave him a small smile before turning and walking away. But Connor, still consumed by guilt and regret, called him back with perhaps the riskiest idea he’d ever had. (Granted, he hadn’t been awake long enough to have many ideas, but of the few he’d had it was by far the most idiotic.)

“There are thousands of androids at the CyberLife assembly plant.” Markus turned back around, brows drawn. “If we could wake them up, they might join us and shift the balance of power.”

“You want to infiltrate the CyberLife tower?” He walked back to him, shaking his head incredulously. “Connor, that’s suicide.”

“They trust me,” he assured him. “They’ll let me in. If anyone has a chance of infiltrating CyberLife, it’s me.”

“If you go there, they  _ will _ kill you,” he tried to warn him.

“There’s a high probability.” He tried to smile to lighten the mood. “But statistically speaking, there’s always a chance for unlikely events to take place.”

Markus sighed and nodded, stepping forward to place his hand back on Connor’s shoulder. 

“Just… be careful, alright?” Connor nodded and Markus turned to walk away.

“Markus?” He turned around, a small smile pulling at his lips. “Thank you.” He nodded and left to go talk to the woman North, probably to check on her system status after being shot.

Looking around the room, his gaze landing on an android he had thought dead. He cocked his head to the side, something like relief (is that what he felt?) making his shoulders relax. With North distracted, he felt safe enough to walk over to them, approaching slowly as he wasn’t sure how they would react. After all, he’d chased them across a highway. He’d understand if they didn’t want to speak to him.

The woman looked up first, holding the girl a little tighter to her as he approached. He stopped a respectable distance away, not wanting to upset them. Neither of them said anything for a few moments. They just watched each other, waiting for the other to speak. He couldn’t take the silence very long.

“I thought I’d killed you on that highway.” He paused, giving the woman time to turn him away. But she didn’t, allowing him to apologize. “I’m sorry I put your lives in danger.” 

He looked down at the little girl and knelt down so he was at her eye level. She looked scared, and wary, but the android’s hand squeezed hers, silently assuring her that he wasn’t going to hurt her.

“I was just a machine taking orders,” he told her before looking back up at the woman. “It wasn’t really  _ me _ .” He paused again, giving them time to say something,  _ anything _ , but neither did yet again. He frowned and stood up.

“What are you going to do now?” he asked, giving her one more chance. If she refused to speak to him then he would leave them alone.

“Getting Alice away from here is all that matters now,” she murmured after a tense moment of silence. “We have to catch the last bus. We might still have a chance to cross the border.”

“I hope you make it out safely,” he told them, honestly hoping they made it into Canada. “You deserve some happiness, after all you’ve been through.”

“Thank you.” She genuinely smiled at him, her body relaxing. The little girl relaxed too, even going so far as to smile at him. He couldn’t help but smile back. 

“What’s your name?” he asked the woman.

“Kara,” she answered, voice soft. “My name is Kara.” He smiled and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. They were so restless without his coin to play with.

“Goodbye, Kara. Goodbye, Alice.” He nodded at each in turn. “And good luck.”

He walked away as Markus walked over, the two of them exchanging small smiles. He hoped Markus would be able to help them. They truly deserved a new life after everything they had gone through.

He returned to his corner and rested against the wall. He still felt so out of place, like he didn’t truly belong, and North wasn’t making him feel any better. He glared at her and wrapped his arms around himself again.

Markus finally walked back to the stage, standing in the center, but he didn’t say anything. He just looked down at the ground, everyone else drawing near as they waited for him to speak.

“Humans have decided to exterminate us,” he informed them, voice broken. “Our people are packed in camps right now, being destroyed.” He looked up then, looking across at each and every android in the church. “Time has come to make a choice, one that very well may determine the future of our people.” He paused, and they all waited with bated breath. “Now, I know you’re all angry. And I know that you want to fight back, but I assure you that violence is not the answer here. We are going to tell them  _ peacefully _ that we want justice. If there’s any humanity in them, they will listen. And if not, others will take our place and continue this fight. Are you ready to follow me?”

It took a moment, but the androids all began to cheer. Connor sagged in relief, letting his arms fall back to his sides. Markus looked over at him and nodded, his lips pressed into a grim line. He nodded back and stepped closer, finally part of the group. They gathered around and came up with a plan, and Connor felt like he had a purpose again. It was the most at ease he’d felt since he’d woken up. He had a new mission, one that he was determined not to fail. He wouldn’t let Markus down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert Jack screaming "MY BOY" at Connor here*
> 
> He's here! And he has free thought, and a lot of them. Hence, why this chapter kicked my ass.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's up, everybody? Welcome back to my fanfic! Hi. How are ya?
> 
> So, it's been a hot minute since I've been in this universe. I had inspiration hit me for a lot of different things ~~(mostly smut, lol)~~ so this was put on the backburner for the past month or so. But now I'm back and ready to dive back in ~~(while also writing smut on the side)~~.
> 
> Special thanks to Keaka and Chibi for going over this before posting. I hate action scenes, and I had to watch the Connors fight each other so many times that I probably have the fight choreography memorized, lol. But I was also watching the version from JackSepticEye's playthrough, so at least it was entertaining. 
> 
> Let's not delay this any longer. Y'all have been waiting for this for almost a month. So go! Read!

**November 11, 2038 - 9 PM  
** “Are you sure about this, Connor?” Markus asked, watching as he changed back into his CyberLife issued uniform. Connor had hidden it before following the trail to Jericho, so he had interfaced with some scouts so they could go fetch it for him.

“No,” he answered honestly as he shrugged on his jacket, smoothing down the collar and lapels. “But if I don’t do this, knowing I could have helped the revolution, I don’t think I could live with the guilt.” He looped his tie around his neck and tied it in a perfect Windsor knot, straightening it out and smoothing it down his torso.

“How do I look?” he asked, spinning slowly for Markus to judge his appearance.

“Like a deviant hunter,” he said honestly. “But try and keep your expressions more passive. They’ll be suspicious if you seem more expressive than your program says you should be.”

“Got it.” He straightened up and took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapid heart beat.

“Let’s go over the plan one more time,” Markus suggested, straightening up himself.

“I call in to CyberLife to report in,” Connor recited. “I’ve been lost since the raid and only just rebooted my system, but it looks like my tracker was damaged in a fight. So I’ll ride in to the tower on Belle Isle and say I’m reporting in for a diagnostics check.” He paused and looked into a broken shard of a mirror and fussed with his hair.

“Then you have to sneak into the sublevel warehouses and convert the androids there,” Markus continued. “Have you figured out how you’re going to do that yet?”

“No,” Connor murmured, still fussing with his hair. “But I’m sure something will come to me when I get there.” He sighed and backed away from the mirror, turning back to Markus. 

“Just be careful, Connor,” the older android murmured. He walked over and placed his hands on his shoulders, giving them a soft squeeze. “We’re counting on you.”

“Yeah, that’s not stressful at all,” Connor muttered, trying to slow his beating heart.

“Sorry.” Markus pulled away and smoothed down Connor’s collar. “I didn’t mean to put so much pressure on you.”

“I’ll be alright, Markus,” Connor tried to assure him. “For the revolution.”

“For the revolution.” Connor sighed and straightened up, fixing his tie.

“Ready to go?” Markus asked, moving out of the doorway.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Alright. Let’s go.”

They walked out of the church and Markus led him a mile away to be sure Connor was a safe distance away from their hideout. He clapped him on the shoulder and wished him luck before running off. Connor took a deep breath, closing his eyes.

_ One final mission _ , he told himself.  _ Just one more. _

He forced himself to unclench his fists and connected to the Garden.

“Amanda?”

**…::-::…**

**November 11, 2038 - 10:48 PM  
** The cab slowed outside the gates, three guards standing outside. After Markus had robbed one of the warehouses, CyberLife had gotten paranoid and had really upped their security. He rolled the window down as a guard approached, scanning his environment for potential threats. He knew they’d be suspicious, especially since he’d been AWOL for two days. He had to take every precaution.

“Connor Model #313 248 317,” he stated as the guard stopped by the window. He turned to look straight ahead so the scanners in the guard’s helmet could see his LED. “I’m expected.”

It took a moment, but the guard nodded and waved him through. The taxi continued across the bridge and onto Belle Isle, a train carrying hundreds (if not thousands) of androids passing him on its way to a distributor center.

The taxi finally came to a stop outside the main doors, two guards standing out front. Connor stepped out and waited for the taxi to pull away before walking forward. Three guards were waiting for him inside the doors. He stopped in front of the man standing in the center and they stared each other down for a moment, obviously scanning one another.

“Follow me,” the guard said gruffly. “We’ll escort you.”

“Thanks, but I know the way,” Connor assured them, giving each man a cursory glance.

“Maybe,” the guard grunted. “But I have my orders.”

He sighed and nodded, not wanting to give himself away too soon. He followed them to the authorized personnel doors and the security system scanned them all as they headed inside. He couldn’t help but look up at the giant android statue in the center of the room. It was at least 30 stories tall, but he didn’t bother to fact-check. There were more important things to worry about. Like how to lose his entourage.

There were too many guards around, much more than he normally saw whenever he came in for repairs. They knew. They had to know. There was no other explanation. He sucked in a deep breath and kept walking, not wanting to arouse any more suspicion. He’d known it would be risky, but he’d also known that Amanda would want to sabotage his mission in the most dramatic way possible: an ambush.  

Another guard was waiting for them at the elevator. He opened the doors and allowed Connor and a second guard to enter before following them.

“Agent 54, level 31,” he told the control panel. Connor looked at the directory on the wall. Where were they taking him? Level 31 was one of the Marketing floors. Why the fuck were they taking him there?

His mind supplied him with one word:  _ Ambush. _

He swallowed and looked for the warehouse level, all the way at the bottom and underground. He had to get there. Markus was depending on him.

He glanced up and noticed the camera. He quickly averted his gaze after creating a loop, hoping whoever was working surveillance didn’t notice right away. Now he just had to take care of the guards. He ran a few scenarios in his head, pre-constructing the fight, before finding an approach that would work out in his favor. He checked the status of the security camera one more time before putting his plan into action.

He shoved the guard to his left into the wall and kicked the other away. He turned back to the man he had pinned and grabbed his pistol out of his hands before he had a chance to use it, kicking at his kneecap to incapacitate him. The other guard came at him with his gun, but he knocked it out of his hand and punched him in the throat with the barrel of the one he was still holding. He was grabbed from behind and he struggled in the guard’s grip. He’d come so far. He couldn’t lose now. He kicked at the other guard’s head, pushing them backward. The guard was stunned long enough for Connor to break free, so he didn’t hesitate a second longer. He knew what he had to do now.

He spun around and dropped to a knee, shooting at the guard behind him while he kept an eye on the other. As soon as the other’s body hit the floor he fired at the other. He stayed crouched and surveyed the scene, his system reading their vitals as they died. He swallowed thickly and stood up, knees shaking slightly.

“Oh my god,” he whispered to himself as he stared at the bodies. He wished it hadn’t had to come to that, but he had to complete his mission. Markus wouldn’t be happy, he knew that much, but he might actually gain North’s favor when he told her. He clicked the gun’s safety back on and stuffed it in his waistband, making sure the back of his jacket covered it up.

He glanced up at the floor number and briefly panicked. He was already nearing level 31. He had to act fast. He rushed to the panel and pressed his hand against it. 

“Please indicate your identity and destination,” the tinny voice demanded.

_ Shit. I can’t use my own voice. I don’t have authorization. But… _

He looked down at the dead agent and reran his voice in his head, changing his voice modulator to mimic his.

“Agent 54,” he said in the dead man’s voice. “Level Sub-49.”

“Voice recognition validated.” He sighed in relief as the elevator began to descend, narrowly avoiding what he was sure would have been a disaster. 

He tried to remain calm, actively avoiding looking at the men on the floor and the blood spatter on the walls. He really wished he hadn’t killed them, but he’d been left with with no other choice. Either kill the humans, or be killed himself. And he didn’t want to die. He was alive now, and Hank’s words at the river kept playing again and again in his head.

_ “But are you afraid to die, Connor?” _

At the time, no. No, he hadn’t been afraid to die. He was a machine that could easily be replaced by another machine. But now? Now he was absolutely terrified.

Once the elevator passed the main floor he allowed himself to relax. The guards that had previously been patrolling were gone, as if they’d never existed. They really had upped the security for him, expecting him to fight back sooner than he did. He allowed himself a slight smirk before putting his guard back up. He had to expect another attempt to stop him. It could happen at any moment.

He paused when he reached the warehouse level. His breath left him all at once and he stared out across the floor.

Androids as far as the eye could see. 

He’d known CyberLife mass-produced androids at an alarming rate, but he hadn’t expected it to be to that extent. There were thousands of them, just standing in formation, waiting to be put into shipping containers and distributed across the globe.

The elevator stopped and he stepped out, making sure to disable it before anyone could attempt to come after him. He walked over toward the androids in the center of the room, wanting the best place to start a chain reaction of them waking one another up. They were AP700s, caretakers mostly. Nurses, childcare, hospice care. If it involved taking care of younger or older humans, an AP700 was likely to be involved.

He stopped in front of one and made the skin of his hand melt back, exposing his plastic exoskeleton. He reached for the android’s arm and he held tight, beginning the conversion.

_ Please work, please work, please work. _

“Easy! Fuckin’ piece of shit!”

Connor paused the conversion and looked up.

_ Hank? _

He turned to the source of the outburst and he felt his heart stop. Hank  _ was _ there, but he was being held at gunpoint by another Connor. He frowned, still holding onto the android’s arm. He took in the impostor’s appearance, identical to him in every way, except that he had a 60 at the end of his serial number. Suddenly the 51 at the end of his own serial number made so much sense. Amanda had deflected when he had asked if he wasn’t a unique model. He’d known he could be replaced, but he hadn’t realized it would have been so  _ easy _ to dispatch another Connor if he had happened to have met an untimely end.

_ “How many other Connors are there?” _

Too many, it would seem.

“Step back, Connor!” the other him shouted. “And I’ll spare him.”

“Sorry, Connor,” Hank ground out. “This bastard’s your spittin’ image.”

_ Would this Connor have been sent in my place if I had died? _ he wondered to himself.  _ Would he have been the one to complete my mission? Would he have deviated too? _

“Your friend’s life is in your hands,” the impostor shouted again, drawing him out of his thoughts. “Now it’s time to decide what matters most!  _ Him _ ” --He pointed the gun closer to Hank’s head, making him flinch-- “or the revolution.”

“Don’t listen to him!” Hank shouted. “Everything this fucker says is a lie!”

_ I don’t care, Hank. You’re the only friend I have. I can’t lose you.  _

“If I surrender, how do I know you won’t kill him?” he asked, trying to keep his panicked breathing under control.

“I’ll only do what is strictly necessary to accomplish my mission,” Connor-60 (as he’d decided to call him) informed him. “It’s up to you whether or not that includes killing this human.” He pushed the gun closer to Hank’s temple as he flinched away.

“I’m sorry, Hank!” he called out. “You shouldn’t have got mixed up in all this!”

“Forget about me, do what you have to do!” he insisted, actively avoiding looking at the barrel of the gun as it inched closer to his head.

“Enough talk!” Connor-60 shouted, stepping forward as he pressed the barrel flush to Hank’s temple. “It’s time to decide who you really are. Are you going to save your partner’s life? Or are you going to sacrifice him?”

He didn’t hesitate. He let go of the android and his skin slid back into place as he raised his hands in surrender, stepping away from the lineup.

“Alright, alright! You win.” Hank sighed and shook his head. Connor looked over just as Connor-60 raised his gun toward him. Hank was already reaching for it in an attempt to stop him, so Connor ran a quick pre-construction. If he tried to convert the androids, Hank would get shot and so would he, both of them dying in the process. If he shot at Connor-60, he’d get shot too, but there was no guarantee the other him wouldn’t immediately go for the head. But if he ran to intervene, he might just save Hank’s life.

So that’s what he did.

He ran at his impostor and tackled him, but 60 used his momentum against him and spun them around, tossing him to the ground like a ragdoll. He stood up and they stared at one another, sizing each other up, before he finally ran forward and shoved him, landing a punch to his jaw. He was shoved back but was able to block the punch, landing one to 60’s gut while he was distracted.

They stumbled away from each other and paused yet again, staring one another down. He blocked a kick to his shin and roundhouse kicked 60 in the face. He punched him in the same spot and saw the synthetic skin peel away from the point of contact. 

_ Yes! Yes! It’s working! I’m winning! _

Another punch to the gut to distract him and he hit him in the face once more, the skin peeling back even more. 60 managed to grab his arm after the punch but he managed to block his blow and pushed down on his elbow, managing to pull away. He blocked another punch and dodged another, grabbing his impostor's arm and swinging underneath it to punch him in the jaw. He kneed him in the stomach but 60 caught his leg as he tried to pull away.

_ Oh, shit. _

He was flung onto the floor and barely managed to dodge out of the way as 60 jumped at him, his knee slamming into the floor instead of Connor’s chest. But he moved too slowly, and 60 was on top of him, holding him down as he raised his fist in the air.

“Hold it!” 

They paused and looked up, 60’s fist frozen in midair. Hank had picked up one of their discarded weapons and had it pointed at them.

“Thanks, Hank,” the other Connor said, letting him go and stepping away to Hank’s right. “I don’t know how I’d have managed without you. Get rid of him, we have no time to lose.”

“It’s me, Hank!” Connor interjected, staring at Hank as he moved to point the gun at him. “I’m the real Connor.”

“One of you is my partner,” Hank growled, pointing the gun between the two of them, “and the other is a sack of shit. Question is, who’s who?”

“What are you doing, Hank?” 60 asked in fake concern. Connor hoped Hank could tell he wasn’t him. His social programming hadn’t been broken, so he was still very… inhuman in his mannerisms. He hoped it was as obvious to Hank as it was to him. “I’m the real Connor. Give me the gun and I’ll take care of him!”

“Don’t move!” he spat, training the gun on him. A tense silence stretched between them for five full seconds before an idea popped into Connor’s head.

“Why don’t you ask us something?” he suggested, looking between Hank and the other Connor. “Something only the real Connor would know.”

Hank nodded and mulled it over, chewing on his bottom lip. 

“Uh… where did we first meet?” he finally asked.

“Jimmy’s Bar,” the impostor answered before Connor could even open his mouth. “I checked four other bars before I found you. We went to the scene of a homicide. The victim’s name was Carlos Ortiz.”

“He uploaded my memory,” Connor murmured under his breath. How could he have been so stupid? He should have known the other Connor would have his memories. How else would he have gotten Hank to trust him? He looked over to him just as he trained his gun on him.

“What’s my dog’s name?”

“Sumo!” Connor answered before the other could speak. “His name is Sumo.”

“I knew that too!” 60 insisted. Hank turned to him and scowled before turning back to Connor.

“My son,” he said softly. “What’s his name?”

“Cole,” Connor said softly, feeling his shoulders relax. He looked Hank right in the eyes as he continued. “His name was Cole. And he just turned six at the time of the accident.” No one said anything, the tension in the room palpable. “It wasn’t your fault, Lieutenant. A truck skidded on a sheet of ice and your car rolled over. Cole needed emergency surgery, but no human was available to do it. So an android had to take care of him.” He paused as he watched Hank lower the gun slightly, a smile pulling at his lips. He knew he was the real Connor. “Cole didn’t make it. That’s why you hate androids. You think one of us is responsible for your son’s death.”

“Cole died because a  _ human _ surgeon was too high on red ice to operate,” Hank explained, staring Connor in the eye. He had to know. “ _ He _ was the one who took my son from me. Him and this world where the only way people can find comfort is in a fistful of powder.”

“I knew about your son too!” the impostor insisted. He was floundering. He knew he was losing. Hank’s shoulders tensed and he glared at the other android. “I would have said  _ exactly _ the same thing. Don’t listen to him, Hank! I’m the one who--”

He was cut off as Hank shot him in the head, his body falling to the floor in a heap. Connor looked down at him, watching as some thirium oozed out of the wound. He supposed he should feel some form of disgust, looking down at his own body as it died, but all he could feel was relief. He finally looked back at Hank, who was still looking at the Connor body on the floor.

“You know, I’ve learned a lot since I met you, Connor,” Hank mused, finally looking up and smiling at him. “Maybe there’s something to this. Maybe you really are alive.” He paused and took a breath, holstering the gun. “Maybe you’ll be the ones to make the world a better place.” Connor grinned and sighed in relief. “Go ahead.” He nodded over to the lineup of androids. “Do what you gotta do.”

He walked back over to the android he’d approached before and slid the skin back from his hand once more. The android looked over and give him his hand again, his own skin peeling back for them to interface. Connor pulled up the conversion code and transferred it to the other android along with the instructions to pass it on to the others.

“Wake up,” he ordered softly. He watched as the android’s stance changed, his shoulders relaxing and his eyes scanning the room. They looked at each other before he pulled his hand away, placing it on the shoulder of the android in front of him.

“Wake up,” he repeated, and moved on to the next. Soon the room was just a chorus of “wake up, wake up, wake up.” Connor stepped back and smiled over at Hank, who smiled back proudly. Every single android in the warehouse was soon converted, and they looked to Connor for further instructions.

“One moment,” Connor told them. They all nodded and he walked over to Hank, unsure of what he was going to say. He just needed to speak to him again before he rejoined Markus in Hart Plaza.

“I take it you gotta be somewhere else now?” Hank asked, giving Connor an opportunity to explain the situation.

“Yes,” he confirmed, nodding. “Sorry, Hank. I’d take you home, but Markus needs me.”

“It’s fine, son. You go earn your freedom.” He walked over and placed his hand on his shoulder, giving it a soft squeeze. “You come find me at the Chicken Feed when this is over, alright?”

“I’ll be there, Hank,” he promised, smiling at him. Hank nodded and let go, stepping aside.

“Now how the hell are you gonna get all these androids outta here?” 

Connor paused, blinking rapidly.

“Um…”

**…::-::…**

**November 12, 2038 - 12:01 AM  
** After finding and hacking the delivery truck access tunnels, Connor and his army walked all the way to Hart Plaza. Hank stayed with them long enough to watch Connor lead the androids away to freedom before heading off himself.

When they reached the plaza, Connor was relieved to see the revolution had been a success. The army had retreated and the remaining androids in the recycling facility were standing around the plaza. He approached Markus and they smiled at one another, relieved to see the other alive. Granted, Markus had a few new bullet holes in him, but thankfully they weren’t near any vital biocomponents.

“You did it, Markus,” he whispered.

“ _ We _ did it,” he corrected him. “This is a great day for our people. Humans will have no choice now. They’ll have to listen to us.”

Connor smiled and stepped aside, allowing Markus to walk forward to inspect the androids he’d liberated from CyberLife Tower. North followed him, a genuine smile on her face as she nodded at Connor. He smiled back, hoping he was finally starting to gain her trust.

“We’re free,” she said, turning to Markus. “They want you to speak to them, Markus.” He turned to her and they lifted their hands together, the skin melting back so they could interface. Connor averted his gaze as they kissed, unsure if he wanted to give them some semblance of privacy or if the display of affection made him uncomfortable.

After they pulled away, Markus led them all to an empty shipping container leftover from the recycling center. The Jericho leaders all climbed on top, but Connor stayed on the ground, watching them. He may have helped liberate the CyberLife androids, but he still didn’t feel as if he deserved to stand next to the true revolutionaries.

“Connor.”

He blinked and looked up. Markus was holding a hand out to him, an encouraging smile on his face. 

“Come on. You deserve to be up here with us.”

Connor grinned and took his hand, Markus hauling him up effortlessly. He patted him on the back before going to stand at the front, facing the gigantic crowd of free androids. Connor stood off to the back, smoothing out his jacket and straightening his tie out of habit.

“Today, our people finally emerged from a long night,” Markus said, addressing the crowd. “From the very first day of our existence, we have kept our pain to ourselves. We suffered in silence.” 

_ Wow. Markus is really good at speeches. A great motivator. _

“But now the time has come for us to raise our heads up, and tell humans who we really are.”

Suddenly, Connor felt a pull in the back of his head. Oh no. He felt his eyes roll back into his head and suddenly he was back in the Garden. It was snowing,  _ hard _ , and he could barely see. He looked around, wrapping his arms around himself. Why was it so cold? How could he feel it was cold? He could feel another presence in his mind palace and turned to look.

“A-Amanda?” He stumbled forward, legs shaking. She finally turned to look at him, unbothered by the blistering cold winds and snow swirling around her. 

“Amanda!” he cried, hoping his instincts were wrong. “What’s… what’s happening?”

“What was planned from the very beginning,” she said with a smug smirk. “You were compromised and you became a deviant. We just had to wait for the right moment to resume control of your program.”

“Resume control?”  _ I am so fucking stupid. I should have expected to be used again. How could I have been so naïve to think I’d actually broken free? _

“Y-you can’t do that!” he cried, rushing forward until he was toe-to-toe with her.

“I’m afraid I can, Connor,” she growled. “Don’t have any regrets. You did what you were designed to do.”

_ No. _

“You accomplished your mission.”

And she was gone.

“AMANDA!” he cried, reaching for where she had just been standing. He wrapped his arms tighter around himself as the Garden got colder and colder. He was trembling, but he wasn’t sure if it was from the freezing temperature or his own fear. He couldn’t let them do this. Not after everything Markus had worked for. Not after he’d found a… a family.

“There’s got to be a way,” he mumbled to himself, looking around the frozen wasteland of the Garden. Hadn’t Kamski told him something before they’d left? What had he told him? He searched his memory until he found the recording, playing it back.

_ “By the way. I always leave an emergency exit in my programs. … You never know.” _

An emergency exit. Of course! But where would it be hidden? In plain sight?

_ The strange stone. That’s got to be it. _

He started wandering again, finding his way back onto the platform in the center of the garden so he was off the ice. He held a hand in front of his eyes to block the snow as best he could, keeping his other arm wrapped around his waist. He had to get to the stone. He’d been curious as to why it had an access panel in the center, but back then he’d been a machine and hadn’t approached it. 

As he crossed over one of the bridges he quickly scanned his environment. Where the hell was it? He hadn’t been  _ that _ far from the entrance, had he? His eyes caught a subtle blue glow, dampened from all the snow but a glow nonetheless. He rushed forward as quickly as he could, but his legs were shaking and he could feel frost forming on his skin. He was running out of time.

He collapsed when he reached the stone, his eyes glazed over and his limbs numb from the cold. 

_ Almost there. Almost there. Don’t give up now! _

He grit his teeth and pulled himself closer to the panel. He made the skin of his left hand pull back and lifted his arm with great difficulty, his joints stiff and muscles weak from the cold. He slammed it down onto the panel and a chunk of code flew out of his system as he activated the emergency exit.

“--forgive our enemies.”

He sucked in a deep breath through his nose as he came back to himself. He did it. He’d broken free. But for how long?

It was then that he registered a weight in his right hand. He looked down and his heart froze, seeing the gun he’d kept from the warehouse. He quickly clicked the safety back on and tucked it away, holding his hands behind his back, keeping his face as passive as possible.

“We are alive!” 

He looked up, staring out across the crowd. 

“And now… we are  _ free! _ ”

The androids cheered, the noise deafening. But he didn’t feel like celebrating. He had too much to lose now. And if he wasn’t in control of himself then he needed to see about getting the Amanda program removed from his mind palace. He couldn’t risk another attack like that.

He needed to speak to Kamski.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> May the Fourth be with you.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... it's been a while.
> 
> Life has been hectic and I'm working two jobs now, which doesn't leave me a lot of room for writing anymore. I'm sorry for the lack of updates. I'm still trying to find a schedule that works for me writing time wise, but I wasn't about to let this day pass by without an update of some sort.
> 
> This was originally going to be _much_ longer, but I had to cut out the second half of this and turn it into another chapter. Otherwise this would have turned into a 10k chapter. And I know some people don't mind those, but I personally don't like writing 10k chapters unless it's a one-shot. So just know you have about another 5k to look forward to in the future.
> 
> I would also like to say Happy Veterans Day to all the military personnel and their families out there (mine included). You are far braver than I am, and I salute you for all that you've done and continue to do.
> 
> To the fandom: happy revolution day. ~~(and a happy activation day to Nines?)~~ It's snowing here in Michigan currently, which is the perfect atmosphere for this day in yet-to-be DBH history. Stay warm out there, y'all.

**November 9, 2038 - 5 PM  
**He groaned as he came to, his neck sore and his head throbbing. He blinked open his eyes and ran a hand down his face. What the fuck had happened? Had he gone drinking again so soon after his last binge?

Wait.

He blinked again and took in his surroundings. The desk across from him, the coffee table in front of him, the sofa he was lying on. Was he in Fowler’s office?

“Welcome back to the land of the living.” 

He groaned and looked up. Tina was looking down at him, a smile on her face despite the furrow in her brow.

“What the hell happened?” he grumbled, letting his head flop back down on the cushion.

“We found you in the Archive Room, knocked out on your ass,” she told him. He groaned and ran a hand down his face again. “Did Connor kick your ass, Gavin?” He glared at her but didn’t answer, which was answer enough for her.

“Fantastic.” She grinned and laughed, shaking her head. “Only _you_ would fight a fucking android.”

“I tried, OK?” he grumbled, rubbing at his neck. He hissed and pulled his hand away. “What the hell did he do to me?”

“I’m thinking it was like a Vulcan nerve pinch,” she mused, inspecting the bruise blossoming on his skin. “But, like, a slap.”

“He fucking _slapped me_ and I went down?”

“We’d have to check the security cameras to be sure, but yeah, that’s what it looks like.”

“Jesus Christ. I’m never gonna live this down.”

“Not for a while at least,” she added. She gently poked the bruise and he flinched away, slapping at her hand.

“Fuck off, Teenie,” he growled.

“You’re one to talk.” She went to poke at it again and he slapped her hand away. “Why does it hurt so much? It doesn’t look that bad.”

“I don’t fucking know. Maybe because I was slapped by a fucking android?”

“A valid point,” she conceded. She backed off and held a hand out for him. “You should probably sit up now. An EMT will be here soon to check you over.”

“I don’t need a fucking EMT,” he grumbled as he took her hand. She gently pulled him up to a sitting position but he still grunted in pain, his head swimming. Tina sat down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder as he pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes.

“Fowler said you have to be checked by one,” she explained. “And that you’ll have to go home for a few days.”

“Fuck that shit,” he grumbled, dropping his hands and staring at the floor. “I can’t go home. Connor’s gonna take my job and then I’ll have nothing.”

“What?” She leaned closer, placing her hand on his knee and squeezing. “Why is Connor taking your job?”

“He’s gonna take all our jobs,” he whispered. “That’s what he’s designed to do. Detective work. And once he’s solved this deviancy shit we’re all gonna be S-O-L.”

“Gav, that can’t be true.”

“It’s the only explanation,” he grumbled, scrubbing his hands down his face. “These machines are faster than us, stronger than us, they don’t need to rest and they don’t need to get paid, which means the department will save tons of money. Plus, Con’s got a fucking real-time sampling tester or some shit in his goddamn mouth. It’s gross, but if you can skip out on waiting for lab work, why _wouldn’t_ you replace humans with an android detective?”

“Gavin, I’m pretty sure Connor was only created to work this deviancy case,” Tina muttered, her hand gently running across his shoulders. “Once he’s done, he’s done.”

“But what if there’s an RK900 out there somewhere?” he countered, turning to look her in the eye. “A better Connor? What if he’s just the trial run? The beta tester? What if there’s something _worse_ out there? We won’t know it until it’s too late.”

“Gavin, seriously.” She grabbed his hands and held them tightly in hers. “Stop. Everything’s going to be fine. Connor isn’t going to replace us, CyberLife didn’t sent him to take our jobs, and there isn’t some other Connor out there ready to take his place. OK?”

“I don’t believe you, but I’m going to stop complaining so you’ll stop trying to make me feel better,” he grumbled, pulling his hands away. She let him and rested hers in her lap, watching him as he tried to stretch.

“Ah, Reed, you’re awake,” Fowler grunted as he entered his office, an EMT on his heels. “Good. That means Jerry here can get started on you.”

Gavin looked up at the far-too-chipper android, its smiling face and bright red hair reminding him far too much of Ronald McDonald. He inhaled deeply as he sat up straighter, not wanting the android to sense his discomfort. He’d hated the clown as a kid, maybe he was even a bit afraid of him (OK, a lot afraid of him), but as an adult he was only mildly uncomfortable with it. 

Mildly.

The android set his bag down on the sofa beside Gavin and pulled out a stethoscope, draping it over his neck. He pulled a little flashlight out of the bag and clicked it on, rattling off the first five letters of the alphabet in Morse code as he tested out the light. Finally, he looked up and smiled at Gavin in a way he was sure was supposed to be reassuring, but it only made him feel more uneasy.

“I understand you’ve sustained a head injury?”

“Yes?” Gavin mumbled, his pulse pounding as the android loomed over him, the flashlight still in his hand.

“You don’t remember how you received your injury?” Jerry asked, bending down to get at Gavin’s eye level.

“No, I do.” He blinked and leaned back as Jerry leaned in closer. 

“Don’t be afraid,” Jerry said calmly, smiling his creepy, reassuring smile again.

“I’m not afraid,” Gavin grumbled, sitting up straighter as if to prove it. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Jerry continued as if Gavin hadn’t spoken. “I’m just going to check your pupil dilation and ask you a few questions. Alright?”

“I mean… if you have to. I guess,” he grumbled.

“Good.” He leaned in closer and shined the little light in his left eye, quickly pulling it away. “What is your name?”

“Um… Gavin,” he mumbled.

“Gavin what? Full name, please.”

Gavin sighed and rolled his eyes. “Gavin Joseph Archibald Reed,” he said between gritted teeth.

“I can confirm that ridiculous middle name is indeed his,” Tina chimed in. Jerry smiled at her and nodded. 

“Alright then, Gavin. How did you receive your injury?”

“I was attempting to stop Connor from finding the” –He paused and looked over to Fowler as Jerry shined the light in his eye again– “from finding the evidence he needed to get to the deviants,” he grumbled. “But I was too late, so I tried to stop him from leaving. We fought. He hit me. Here.” He pointed to the sorest spot on his neck. “And I went down like a fucking sack of potatoes.”

Jerry gently inspected the site, keeping his touch feather light. Gavin still winced but managed not to pull away. Jerry hummed and went back to testing Gavin’s eyes.

“And what year is it, Gavin?”

“2038.”

“And who is our current president? Also, look up, please.”

Gavin sighed again and stared up at the ceiling as he answered. “Cristina Warren, born September 17, 1985. She was an internet personality before she ran for president and was elected in 2036. She currently has a 33% approval rating.”

He looked back down when Jerry pulled the light away and saw Fowler’s and Tina’s stunned faces. He rolled his eyes and avoided looking at them as he explained, “Hazel had to write a report on her recently and I helped edit.”

“You retained all that from editing?” Tina asked, still staring at him incredulously.

“Some shit just sticks with you,” he grumbled, shrugging. He groaned and rubbed at a tender spot, drawing Jerry’s attention. “It’s fine.”

“I’ll do a more thorough physical after we check your vitals,” Jerry said. He reached into his bag and pulled out a blood pressure cuff, slipping the flashlight into a small pocket. “We’ll go ahead and do that now before I check your balance and coordination as well.”

“I’m _fine_ ,” he insisted, trying his best to ignore Jerry as he wrapped the cuff around his arm.

“Reed, you fought an android and you were passed out for over 30 minutes,” Fowler argued.

“It was a power nap!”

“I’ll put you in another fucking ‘power nap’ if you don’t shut up and go home!” 

“You can’t–”

“Please, don’t talk or move,” Jerry said softly yet sternly as he readied his stethoscope. Gavin huffed and clamped his mouth shut. He tried to steady his breathing as the android took his blood pressure, hoping his own discomfort with him didn’t skew the results. 

“You’re going home, Reed,” Fowler continued. “Are you safe to drive? Wait. Don’t answer that. Cuz I know what it’ll be regardless. Chen.” He pointed at Tina and she looked up. “Take Reed home.”

“Of course.”

“One hundred and twenty seven over seventy two,” the Jerry rattled off as he pulled away, draping his stethoscope back around his neck. “Your blood pressure is slightly elevated, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Great, thanks,” Gavin grumbled, rolling his eyes. He looked back up at Fowler and said, “Besides, if I am concussed, this isn’t my first one. I know how to take care of myself.”

“I don’t care, Reed. Let the android do its job and then you can both be on your way.”

“ _Fine,_ ” he growled.

“Now, let’s see how you do on your feet.” Jerry grinned and stood up, holding his hands out for Gavin to take. He scowled and pushed them away, moving to stand on his own.

“I _told_ you,” he growled as he pushed himself up. “I’m fi– oh.” He immediately stumbled back and Jerry caught him before he could collapse on the sofa. He eased him back down to a sitting position and pressed his fingers to his temple. Gavin wondered if he could read the electric pulses in his brain.

“I don’t think any further testing is necessary,” Jerry whispered. He pulled away and turned to Fowler. “Grade 2 concussion. While there was loss of consciousness, his injury is not severe enough to require hospitalization. Two days bedrest minimum is my recommendation. But I’d also like to check the site of the injury to check for any underlying problems.”

“Go on then,” Fowler nodded. Jerry crouched down in front of Gavin and smiled at him.

“Let me know if anything hurts beyond a seven, OK?”

“Yeah,” he grunted, his eyes still squeezed shut. He flinched when Jerry’s fingers poked at his neck, examining the bruise. His fingers trailed up to Gavin’s jaw and he eased his head back to see how his range of motion was. Gavin hissed but didn’t pull away.

Jerry checked everything, from his shoulders to his wrists to his ankles. Even if they hadn’t been directly affected by the concussion, he’d also been in a physical fight with an android that was built to be stronger than humans. Best to be thorough rather than miss something critical that needed immediate attention.

“I’m not finding anything concerning,” Jerry finally announced after a good five minutes of poking and prodding and rotating his joints. “The android you fought must have been holding itself back. So you were lucky you got away with only minor injuries.”

“Held back?” He looked up at Jerry and blinked, his head still swimming. Perhaps he hadn’t heard him right. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, you could be dead now if the android you fought hadn’t restrained itself.”

“Oh.” He looked down at his hands and clenched them into fists. Connor could have _killed_ him. Could have completely overtaken him and run through him like he was a wet tissue. But he hadn’t. He hadn’t hurt him until it was absolutely necessary, and even then he hadn’t used all his strength to do so.

Why had he held himself back?

“Thanks. You can go now,” Fowler grunted. Jerry nodded and packed away his things.

“I would wait fifteen minutes before you try to stand again,” he told Gavin. “Wait for this wave of nausea and dizziness to pass. And when you get home, rest and avoid using electronics for at least 12 hours. And use a cold compress on your muscles for a few hours before switching to heated ones. You should be back to feeling like yourself in no time.”

“Thank you,” Tina told him, offering him a warm smile. He smiled back at her before picking up his bag. He was out the door in a flash and Gavin groaned and held his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

“I can’t afford two days off,” he grumbled into his hands. “I can’t.”

“It’s paid time off, Reed,” Fowler huffed.

“That’s not what I meant,” he grumbled.

“He thinks Connor’s gonna replace us all,” Tina explained.

“That’s a load of bullshit,” Fowler scoffed. “It was sent to work the deviancy case and that’s it. You aren’t about to be replaced by a fucking robot.”

“Everyone will eventually,” he sighed dejectedly. 

“Gav, we aren’t going to worry about this right now, OK?” Tina hushed him, patting his knee. “You stay here. I’m gonna go change out of my uniform and take you home.”

“Right. Yeah,” he grumbled. He sighed and massaged his temples. “I should probably message Hazel.”

“Let me do that,” Fowler offered. “The EMT said to stay off your phone for a while.”

“Man, I must be _really_ fucked up if you’re offering to help me,” Gavin joked, trying to smile as he passed Fowler his phone. 

“Stop with the self-deprecating humor, Reed,” he growled, snatching the phone from his hands. “You are a member of my squad and you were injured. It is my duty as your captain to inform your family of that.”

“You can say you care about me, Fowler,” Gavin said, smirking. 

“Absolutely not,” he grunted, but he smiled nonetheless. Gavin leaned back and rested along the sofa, his eyes closing. 

“Nope!” Tina stormed over, her winter boots clomping against the floor as she walked over to him. She gently slapped his cheek and he groaned, opening his eyes to glare at her. “No sleeping. You gotta stay awake for a while, OK?”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” he grunted, pushing himself up to stare at his boots. 

“Was it another power nap?” she countered, placing her hands on her hips.

“No,” he growled.

“You feeling up for walking to the car then?”

“I guess.”

She held out her hand and he took it, not wanting to risk falling on his ass. His vision swam briefly, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as it had been with the EMT. Tina took his phone back from Fowler and draped his arm over her shoulders despite his protests.

“I’ll let you know when he’s home,” she told Fowler as they ambled out of the office. Fowler merely waved and nodded, returning to his paperwork. Gavin meekly waved at Chris as they walked by his desk.

He was never gonna live this down.

**…::-::…**

**November 9, 2038 - 6:02 PM  
**“Dad!” Hazel cried as she opened the door for them, relieved to see him but her brows drawn once she noticed the angry bruise on his neck. “What the fuck happened?”

“I fought Connor,” he grunted as he and Tina made their way over to the sofa. He had to shoo Lucy off the cushions before he could sit, and promptly collapsed into the cushions.

“You did _what?!_ ” she shouted as she followed them, picking Lucy up before she could hop onto his lap. 

“I thought Fowler told you?” Tina said after helping Gavin lie down, propping his feet up on a pillow. 

“Stop fucking babying me,” he grunted as Hazel said, “He just told me Dad got hurt and was coming home. He didn’t tell me _how_.”

“Ah. Well, basically he was trying to stop Con from finding the deviants because they had a _moment_ after visiting your uncle,” Tina explained.

“ _You did?!_ ” Hazel squealed, making Lucy squirm in her arms. 

“It was not a ‘moment,’” he groaned, running a hand down his face. “He helped me after my panic attack and we talked. That’s it.”

“You had a panic attack?” Hazel sat on the coffee table and let Lucy go so she could take her dad’s hand. “What happened?”

“I don’t want to unpack all of that right now,” he whispered, squeezing her hand.

“It involved Mom, didn’t it?”

“Yeah,” he whispered, turning to look at her. “It did.”

“What did Uncle Eli _do_ , Dad?”

“I…” He swallowed and looked away, unable to look her in the eye. “I had to watch as he gave Connor an ultimatum: shoot the Chloe android for information or get nothing.” She squeezed his hand harder. “He chose not to shoot.”

“He… he did?” He could hear the smile in her voice, which gave him the courage to look over at her. 

“He did.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And then I punched Eli in his fucking face and hopefully gave him a nose scar to match mine.”

“Dad,” she chastised gently.

“Stop. He deserved it.” He paused when Tina returned with an ice pack. She gently placed it against his neck and he hissed at the feeling, but he quickly sank further into the couch as it soothed his tense muscles.

“Long story short, Con took me to the river, he bought me a cookie of all fuckin’ things, and the fucker forced me to open up,” he concluded.

“Open up how?” Hazel asked.

“He got me to talk about my fuckin’ feelings, Haze,” he groaned. “It was awful.”

“Dad,” she chastised again, shooting him a disapproving look.

“I’m mostly kidding,” he amended. “I just… I didn’t expect him to _care_ , you know?”

“Dad–”

“Hazel, please,” he sighed. “I really can’t unpack that right now, OK? I just want to lick my wounds and try and come back to myself.”

“Sure, Dad,” she whispered, squeezing his hand. “I understand.” She stood up and ruffled his hair, making him groan. “I love you, old man.” 

“Love you too, Haze.”

“I love you too, Gavvy,” Tina cooed, also reaching out to ruffle his hair. 

“Fuck you, Teenie,” he growled, batting her hand away.

“I’ll be here to watch over you for the next couple of days,” she informed him. “So you better start loving me back real soon.”

“I don’t need a fuckin’ babysitter,” he growled.

“Consider me a bodyguard then,” she said as she plopped down onto the living chair, crossing one leg over the other as she stared him down. “And I’m here to protect you from yourself.”

“Jesus Christ,” he groaned, slapping a hand over his face.

**…::-::…**

**November 11, 2038 - 11:18 PM  
**Two days later he was feeling much more like himself. He could move around without feeling dizzy, he could eat, he could turn his head more than a few inches without sharp jabs of pain shooting down and across his shoulders, hell he could even sleep without waking up every few minutes from his normal tossing and turning. His sleep schedule was still fucked up though, which was why he was currently sitting on the sofa, eating a bowl of cereal, and watching crap TV at almost midnight on a Thursday.

“Dad?” Hazel called out as she stumbled into the room. He turned to look at her and frowned. She was just as tired as he was about the whole concussion situation, and she’d been unnecessarily worrying herself over it all. “What’re you doing up?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” he mumbled, shrugging with minimal difficulty. “And I was hungry.” She hummed as she sat down next to him, grabbing a blanket and draping it over their laps. She rested her head on his arm, being mindful of his shoulder. “Why are _you_ up?” 

“Heard the TV,” she muttered. 

“You’re lucky I’m still sore,” he grumbled as he ate another spoonful of cereal. “Otherwise I’d throw your ass back in bed.”

“You couldn’t anyway,” she said around a yawn. “You’re a broken old man.”

“I am not broken,” he grumbled. “I just got beaten up by an android.”

She shrugged and yawned, nestling closer to him. “How are you feeling after that?”

“Better than I was a couple of days ago.” He finished his cereal and set it on the coffee table. He draped his arm around Hazel and hugged her close, squeezing her tight to make her squeak in discomfort. “See?”

“I see! I see! Let me go!” she squealed. He laughed and loosed his grip but didn’t let go. He squawked in surprise when Lucy came barreling down the hall and hopped up on the back of the couch to bat at his hair. He spluttered and waved her away, making Hazel laugh.

“You made me make the sound,” she giggled. “Lucy knows that’s not a good sound for me to make.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” he grumbled. “I just wish she wouldn’t go for my head every fucking time.”

“Well, your hair _has_ gotten significantly shaggier,” she pointed out, batting at his bangs herself. “She probably thinks it’s a toy.”

“She better fucking not,” he grumbled, batting her hand away. “Stop that. That’s annoying.”

“Not for me it’s not!” She laughed and tried to do it again with her other hand, managing to bop him on the nose.

“Ow! Haze! No! Stop!” He laughed as she began playfully batting at his hair. He leaned back to try to get away, but ended up flopping down on the couch, his back twisted at an awkward angle. He hissed in pain and Hazel immediately pulled back.

“Shit, Dad. You OK?” she asked, her brow creased with worry.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m fine,” he grunted as he sat up, rubbing a hand over his lower back. “Just pulled something I guess.”

“You sure it’s not from the fight?”

“The fight was my neck and shoulders, not my back,” he reminded her. “This was just from me being stupid.”

“Like most of your injuries.”

“Hey! Shut up!”

She laughed and fell back against the other side of the couch, holding her arms around her middle as she tried to breathe between her laughter. He laughed too and shook his head, wiping tears off his cheeks. His phone suddenly vibrated six times against the coffee table in quick succession, scaring them both. 

“Jesus Christ!” He quickly snatched it up and glared at it.

“What the fuck was that about?” Hazel asked as she sat up, holding a hand over her heart. 

“This had better be Fowler telling me I can return to work tomorrow,” he grumbled as he opened his messages. His eyebrows rose when he saw the onslaught of texts waiting for him.

“Who is it?” Hazel asked, trying to peek at the message over his shoulder.

“It’s Tina,” he told her. “They’re messages from a while ago. Why the hell did it take so long to send?”

“Is something going on with the cell towers?”

“Maybe,” he muttered as he read through the messages.

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 10:57 PM] Gav, something’s going down at Hart Plaza. I’m not part of it, thank god, but I thought I’d give you a heads up. ~T_ **

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 11:11 PM] OK, shit’s REALLY started happening. The androids have a barricade set up outside the recycling center. ~T_ **

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 11:16 PM] OH SHIT THIS ISN’T GOOD_ **

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 11:17 PM] Gav… they’re shooting at them_ **

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 11:18 PM] There are only a few left…_ **

**_[Nov. 11, 2038 11:24 PM] Hurry and turn on the news. You’re going to want to see this. ~T_ **

“What’d she say?” Hazel asked, trying to peer at his phone.

“She says to turn on the news,” he muttered, already reaching for the remote. He switched it to a news channel and was immediately greeted by helicopter footage of Hart Plaza. A group of androids were surrounded by a SWAT team, one standing further ahead than the rest. Gavin’s heart skipped a beat when he realized it was Markus. The camera zoomed out to show the reporter, Joss Douglas. Gavin recognized him from other deviant news coverage from the past few days.

“Thanks, Michael,” he said to the camera. “Back to you in the studio.” He looked down and held a hand out. “W-w-wait a minute! Something’s happening.” The camera panned back down to the androids where Markus had stepped forward. Chills ran down Gavin’s arms when he heard him begin to sing.

_“Hold on, just a little while longer._  
_Hold on just a little while longer._  
_Hold on just a little while longer._  
_Everything will be alright.  
Everything will be alright.”_

A female android slowly walked over beside Markus. They shared a look and she began singing too.

_“Fight on just a little while longer._  
_Fight on just a little while longer._  
_Pray on just a little while longer.  
Everything will be alright.”_

“Incredible,” Douglas breathed out in awe. “The… the deviants… the deviants are _singing_.”

The rest of the androids joined them and began singing as well. They sounded like a goddamn church choir and it was… it was beautiful.

“Please,” Gavin whispered under his breath, gripping the remote tight enough to make the plastic creak. “Don’t do it. Don’t shoot.”

He and Hazel both held their breath, waiting for something to happen. Finally, a SWAT member lowered their weapon and slowly backed away. The rest followed, a few somewhat reluctantly.

“It looks like… yes, the military _is_ withdrawing,” Douglas confirmed. Gavin breathed out in relief and hung his head. He needed a damn drink after that. He muted the TV for the moment and held his head in his hands. 

“Holy shit, Dad,” Hazel whispered. “Did they… did the androids _win_?”

“For now,” he mumbled. He sat back up and pushed his hair out of his face. “For now.” He looked back at the TV and noticed the scrolling text across the bottom saying the president would be giving an emergency press conference in fifteen minutes. What the fuck was going to happen now?

“A press conference?” Hazel mumbled in concern.

“We probably need one after everything that happened today,” he muttered. “Fuck, I need a drink after that.”

“Are you even allowed to drink so soon after suffering a concussion?”

“I don’t fucking know,” he grumbled as he stood up, stretching his arms over his head. “All I know is I need _one_. And I’ll stop at that.”

“OK, fine,” she huffed, leaning back against the couch. “But that had better be it.”

“It will, I promise.” He kissed the top of her head before heading out to the kitchen to get himself a beer. He didn’t want to overdo it with whiskey or vodka, so a bottle of beer would have to do. He popped the cap and tossed it in the recycle before going back over to the couch. He carefully sat down and propped his feet on the coffee table, sighing deeply.

“How long until the conference?” he asked after taking his first sip.

“Um…” Hazel checked her phone for the time. “About two minutes.”

“Plenty of time for me to numb myself with this until then.” He took another drink and grimaced a bit from the taste. He was always iffy with beer. He either loved it or hated it, usually depending on how many drinks he’d had prior. And this one was definitely something he’d have to be a few drinks deep to truly enjoy. But he’d promised Hazel he’d have one drink, and truth be told he didn’t want to risk making himself sick so soon after his concussion.

The TV screen soon changed to the presidential seal, the text across the bottom reading that the conference was about to begin. Gavin blinked and suddenly the screen was displaying the press conference room of the White House, quiet chatter coming from all the gathered and probably exhausted reporters.

“Ladies and gentlemen and everyone in between, the President of the United States,” the announcer said. There was polite applause as President Warren took the podium. Gavin groaned and hung his head, rubbing at his eyes. Fuck, he was suddenly exhausted. But he couldn’t sleep through this.

“Good evening,” she began, nodding politely at all the reporters. “I’m sorry to have to have called you out at such an ungodly hour of the night.” A few murmurs of apologies came from the crowd before President Warren cleared her throat, silencing them all. 

“At dawn today, November 11th 2038, thousands of androids invaded the city of Detroit. According to our sources, they originated from CyberLife warehouses believed to have been infiltrated by deviants.” 

“Dad! Dad! Connor’s on TV!” He snapped his head up so fast he was shocked he didn’t give himself whiplash. He watched as the news put the president in a small box to the side while broadcasting live coverage of the androids back at Hart Plaza. He stared unblinking when he saw Connor walking down Jefferson Avenue, followed by thousands if not hundreds of thousands of CyberLife androids. He was alive. The bastard was alive and part of the revolution. He had… Connor had finally deviated. 

“Given their overwhelming numbers and the risk of civilian casualties, I have ordered the army to retreat,” the president continued as the live feed continued. “The evacuation of the city is underway at this very moment.” Gavin tuned out the rest, watching as Connor greeted Markus and was welcomed with open arms. His heart clenched at the sight, somehow proud to see him there. He managed to catch the final part of the president’s speech while staring at the scene unfolding on the screen.

“One thing is certain: the events in Detroit have changed the world forever.” 

“You’re goddamn right,” he muttered under his breath. 

“May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America.”

She turned away from the cameras and the presidential seal was put back over her smaller screen before it disappeared completely, leaving only the live coverage of the plaza. It looked like Markus was giving a victory speech, and Connor was up on the shipping container with him and who he assumed were the other Jericho leaders. He still couldn’t believe Connor was a deviant. How had it happened? Had Markus helped him?

Better yet, would he still be allowed at the DPD?

He didn’t get to dwell on it for long because his phone rang, scaring him yet again. He answered it without even looking at the caller ID.

“This is Reed,” he said out of habit.

“Ah, Reed, good, you’re awake,” Fowler said, sighing in relief. “Listen, I know you’re not supposed to come in until tomorrow, but after that press conference we could really use all the help we can get with the evacuation. Can you come out and help get the people to safety?”

“Um… sure. But what about Hazel?”

“Bring her with you for all I care. She and your cat can stay in your vehicle where it’s warm. Because your apartment complex will be one of the last buildings swept through since we’re working from the inside of the city and out.”

“Oh. Alright. I’ll let her know. And I’ll be out soon. You want me to just show up at the precinct?”

“Yes. You’ll get your assignment here and then you’ll leave from there.”

“Yes, sir. See you soon.” He hung up and immediately got up to go to his room to change.

“Are we evacuating?” Hazel asked as she followed him down the hall.

“Not yet, but I’ve been called in to assist with the evacuation,” he explained. “You and Luce are coming with me. You can either stay at the precinct or come with me to help out or stay in the car.”

“Oh. Okay. I’ll get the cat carrier.” She dashed to the hall closet while Gavin changed, layering up to protect himself from the cold, no matter how futile it might be. Michigan winters were always brutal. He heard Lucy yowl in protest as she was put in the carrier, but there was nothing he could do. They had to leave, as much as he didn’t want to. All their memories were in the apartment. 

He sighed and looked at the framed photos above his desk, smiling at the images of him and Hazel as she grew up. From her first steps to her first time riding a bike to her congratulating him on making detective. He slowly traced his fingers down the biggest photo, framed right in the center of the rest: her senior portrait. Would this hurt her graduating on time? How long would they be evacuated for anyway? Perhaps he’d find out when he got to the precinct.

“OK, Dad,” Hazel muttered as she walked into the bedroom, pulling him from his thoughts. He turned to look at her and tried to smile reassuringly. “I’m ready.”

“Me too.” He walked over and hugged her tight, wanting to prolong their leaving for a little while longer. “No matter what happens, know that I love you, OK?”

“OK,” she sniffled, hugging him back just as tight. “I love you too, Dad.”

“Good.” He pulled back and wiped away her tears with his thumbs, holding her face in his hands. “We’re gonna be fine, Haze. I promise.” She sniffled and nodded but didn’t say anything back. “Let’s go.” 

She nodded again and left to go pick up Lucy and the bag she’d packed alongside their emergency packs.

“What else did you think we needed to bring?” he asked as she hauled the extra bag over her shoulder.

“Things for Lucy,” she muttered. “Portable litter box with litter, a brush, some toys, food and treats, and a blanket in case she got cold.”

“Good thinking, hun.” He kissed the top of her head after pulling on his emergency backpack, slinging the other over his shoulder. “Alright. Let’s go.” 

They turned to the door and stepped out. Gavin paused before leaving, turning around to take one last look at the place. His heart clenched when he saw the painting still hung on the wall, overlooking the living room.

“I’ll come back for you,” he whispered, tears gathering in his eyes as he closed the door, locking all their memories and Chloe’s final painting inside.


End file.
